Pokemon: Naruto league!
by Air Condition
Summary: The Pokemon and Naruto universes have become one, and almost everyone -except for a certain blonde artist- has lost their memory. Slowly, one universe begins to eat away at the other. Who's behind this? It's up to Konan, Itachi and Deidara to find out.
1. I choose you!

A/N: This is my new main project! Enjoy!

* * *

"You figured it out, un?"

"It's common to try and hide your seals, so you don't reveal what style you're using. Sharingan will read them no matter how fast you do it. All of your seals were earth seals. Earth is venerable to lightning. That's your weakness, isn't it?"

"Then that lightning blade… it was to stop the C4 in your blood from detonating."

"Yep… It took a hell of a toll on me, though. By the way, the proper name for it is Chidori."

"When did you figure it out?"

"After the land mines went off. Of course, I was analyzing it from the start. I first noticed when my chidori stopped some of your smaller explosives from going off. From there, I began developing a hypothesis. But, I decided not to use chidori on your land mines, in case I was wrong."

"How? How did you know where the land mines were?"

"Haven't I already told you? My eyes can see chakra. Now, where is Itachi?"

Itachi. That was all he cared about. Not once had he acknowledged the power of Deidara's art. He'd seen through everything. Even after all that, he _still_ had tricks up his sleeve. Luckily, this conversation had given Deidara time to create another explosive. A pair of snakes. They shot from his palms, wrapping around Sasuke's legs, only to be deactivated by another Chidori. Sasuke collapsed, too weak to rise again.

"Are you still trying to act tough? I know you just burned up the last of your chakra." Deidara said. "My art is going to finish you this time."

He watched Sasuke's face, waiting for a reaction. After a few seconds, it became clear that he wasn't going to get one. It was infuriating. How could _anyone_ still be calm in a situation like this? Clearly, it was just acting.

"That's what pisses me off about you! You and your accursed brother! Stop acting cool! Those eyes drive me insane! They reject my art! They show no-!"

Deidara's voice was drowned out by an ear-splitting screech. The ninjas covered their ears. For the first time since they had met, their thoughts were the same.

_'What the hell was that?_'

After a few seconds of silence, a large dragon-like creature flew toward the battlefield, hovering just over the tree line. It stopped above the ninjas, looking back to see if it was being followed. Another creature smashed into it, sending it into the ground. The two of them rose over the trees yet again, and seemed to be having a stand-off.

The first creature was called Palkia, but the ninjas didn't know that. It looked like a metalic winged dragon. The wings on its back never moved, which made Deidara and Sasuke wonder how it managed to stay in the air. It had large, pink orbs on its shoulders, one of which had a large crack in it.

The second – which was called Dialga – looked as if it would stand on four legs, and almost looked dog-like. It was a dark blue color, with silvery-white structures on its head, back, and legs. At the base of its neck was a large blue jewel.

Deidara looked back down at Sasuke, noticing that he seemed extremely distracted. Deidara knew he didn't have much chakra left. But, he had enough for another attack. Maybe Sasuke would be distracted enough to kill. He shot a spider out of his mouth, and watched in dismay as it was crushed by a _third_ creature. The third creature had landed between Deidara and Sasuke, and was looking up at the airborne giants.

It was Giratina who stood in front of them. It stood on six legs, with two black wings on its back. It was a grey creature, with a black stomach and tail. Red stripes lined its neck and underbelly, and its head looked rather small compared to the rest of its body. It seemed to have a gold helmet over its face, with Golden rings lining the neck, and legs. The feet also appeared to be gold.

"What's going on?" Deidara asked, somehow expecting an accceptable response.

Deidara tried to stand up, but was too weak to stay upright. He crawled up to the creature in front of him, and began to climb over its foot. He was trying to get closer to Sasuke. If he could just closer, maybe he could take him out. Suddenly, Deidara was lifted off the ground. Giratina had flown up into the sky, and was headed straight for the other two beasts.

It opened its mouth, and seemed to be creating some kind of whirlwind. A portal opened in the center of the three mysterious creatures, getting bigger and bigger. Dialga and Palkia seemed none too happy about this, and roared in protest. Palkia's arm began to glow, where a pink energy gathering. It slashed at the air, sending the energy at the portal. Giratina flew through the portal just before Palkia's attack struck it, pulling Deidara in with him. Deidara watched the portal fester, and suddenly become larger. In fact, it continued to grow until it consumed everything in sight. It was almost as if the portal was a tear in the fabric of space, and it was slowly ripping even more. Giratina changed course suddenly, flinging Deidara off. He smashed right into a wall, where he was knocked out.

* * *

"Aaahhh… What happened, un?" Deidara asked looking around the small room he was in. "Where am I?"

The room seemed unfamiliar to him. It was filled with strange objects that Deidara didn't recodnise, and it generally seemed to belong to a younger child. Deidara stepped out of the room before realizing that he wasn't wearing his cloak. He was just wearing the things underneath, the fishnet shirt and pants.

"Hello?" He asked, hoping someone friendly was nearby.

"Oh, you're awake!"

"Huh?"

A large blonde woman ran up to Deidara, and hugged him.

"Who are you?" Deidara asked, looking down at the woman.

"You don't recognize your own mother? You must be really tired."

"My… mother? You're not my mother, un." Deidara said, knowing that his mother was taller, and certainly did not have curly hair.

"Konan has been waiting for you to get up. She came here at five in the morning!"

"Konan's here? What time is it, un?"

"Six thirty."

"Why is she here, un?" Deidara asked, curious as to why Leader-sama's partner was with this strange woman.

"She was going to go with you to the professor's house to get your first Pokémon!"

"Po...? What?"

"She's in the kitchen." The woman said, pointing down the hallway. "I'll clean up your room for you."

Deidara didn't thank the woman, and instead began running down the hallway. When he made it to the kitchen, Konan was sitting at the table, drinking some kind of tea. She looked tense, as if something bad were about to happen. She kept glancing at the clock over the sink, and tapping her foot.

"Konan?" Deidara asked.

"Hey, you're up!" She said, quickly standing up.

"Konan! What happened? Where are we?"

"Did you have another nightmare or something? Calm down. It's about time you woke up. Let's go get our Pokémon! It's getting late!"

"What are you talking about, un?"

"Let's go. I know you're tired but we've gotta get there fast before the Pokémon we want are taken!"

Konan grabbed Deidara's arm and pulled him out of the house, and up toward what looked like a science lab.

"Wait! You forgot your stuff!" Deidara's 'mom' yelled, rushing out of the house with a backpack.

"Jeez, Deidara. You didn't even pack your bag? I better stick with you until you get the hang of all this 'traveling' business." Konan joked.

"Um… T-thanks, un?"

Deidara decide that it would be better to play along for a while, instead of trying to fight it. Maybe he'd figure out this madness eventually. So, he followed Konan up to the lab. That was the first time that he noticed Konan wasn't wearing her cloak, either.

_'Is that what she always wears under her cloak?'_ Deidara wondered, noticing that it seemed to be a very slutty outfit. The pants were fine, but the shirt? Well...

"Itachi! Hi!" Konan yelled. Deidara looked up to see that it was indeed Itachi who was walking by them. Deidara's sheer hatred seemed to be quelled by the amount of confusion he was feeling at the moment.

"You're only just getting here?" Itachi asked. "It's about time."

"I know, I know! Deidara slept in! What kind did you get?" Konan asked.

"A Bulbasaur." Itachi said, releasing it from its Pokéball.

"_Bulba!_"

"A Bulbasaur!" Konan repeated. "I'm getting a Squirtle!"

Itachi put Bulbasaur back in its Pokéball and continued on his way after saying goodbye. Konan began walking away before noticing that Deidara hadn't moved.

"What's wrong?" She asked, turning back to him.

"What… What was that thing?"

"It was a Pokémon, obviously. Now let's go!"

* * *

"Hey! Jiraiya!"

"Hey, Konan! You're starting your Pokémon journey today, eh?"

Jiraiya happened to be in the lab Deidara and Konan were visiting to get their first pokémon. He didn't work in this lab, but seemed to be there to watch the place. Deidara didn't think he looked very professional for someone in a lab, as he wasn't wearing any of the doctor's coats.

"Yeah! I'm really excited! Please tell me you still have a Squirtle!" Konan begged.

"Of course. I saved one for you." Jiraiya said, handing her a Pokéball. from his pocket.

"Konan, that's the enemy, un! What are you doing?" Deidara asked.

"Enemy? He's like a father to me, don't talk about him like that!" Konan yelled.

"What the hell is going on here?" Deidara screamed, too confused to even play along.

"Is he okay?" Jiraiya asked, taking a step back.

"He seems a bit weird today… Don't worry; I'll take care of him until he feels a bit better." Konan said.

"Alright then. Take your Pokéballs, Pokédex, and your Pokéformer." Jiraiya said, handing her the rest of her gear.

"Deidara, what kind of Pokémon did you want?" Konan asked.

"What are the options?" Deidara muttered, seeing no way out of the situation.

"Well, there's Squirtle a turtle Pokémon. There's Bulbasaur, but I guess Itachi already took that… And squirtle is mine, so I guess you're stuck with Charmander."

"Here you go, Deidara." Jiraiya said, handing Deidara a Pokéball. "Don't forget your Pokéballs, Pokédex, and Pokéformer."

"What's a Pokéformer? Or this ball? Is this a computer?" Deidara asked, taking the stuff in his arms.

"Do you have amnesia or something?" Konan asked. "Everybody knows what a thiis stuff is."

"…What is it…?"

Konan sighed and held up what appeared to be a small bracelet, with a Pokéball pendant at the top. She slipped it onto her wrist and pressed the button in the middle of the pendant. Deidara watched as a strange light engulfed her. When the light faded there wasn't much of a difference. The only change seemed to be that she was wearing a black cloak. Deidara thought it looked a lot like the Akatsuki cloak. But there were no clouds.

"…It changes your outfit?" Deidara asked.

"Konan was right. You are a little weird today." Jiraiya muttered. "The Pokéformer allows you to change into your Pokémon form, and back again."

"Pokémon form?"

"Must I explain everything? Use your Pokédex."

Deidara took out his Pokédex and aimed it at Konan.

Name: Konan-chan

Species: Paper

Type: Grass

Evolutionary chain: The evolved form of Konan. Evolves into Konan-sama.

This Pokémon is very friendly and is very loyal to all who befrend it. It will even sacrifice its life to save others. This Pokémon's power doubles when in battle with a Pein, Yahiko, Yahiko-san, Nagato, Nagato-san, or Nagato-sama.

00000000000000000000000000

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 2

Defense: 2

Special attack: 4

Special defense: 3

Speed: 4

00000000000000000

"It's… An evolved Pokémon? What did it evolve from?" Deidara asked.

"Press the 'back' button and find out." Jiraiya said.

Name: Konan

Species: Orphan

Type: Grass

Evolutionary chain: Evolves into Konan-chan.

This Pokémon is extremely skilled with paper, and can kill others using that paper. While this Pokémon was abandoned by its parents, it is extremely friendly and loves humans.

00000000000000000000000000

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 3

Defense: 3

Special attack: 4

Special defense: 2

Speed: 2

00000000000000000

Konan pressed the button on her Pokéformer one more time and returned to her human form.

"Deidara, there's one thing you have to remember when using the Pokéformer." Jiraiya said.

"What's that, un?"

"Don't let it fall off. If it falls off while you're in your Pokémon form… You won't be able to change back."

"But what if I-?"

"Deidara, let's go! I want to get out there and find a Yahiko! I've just gotta have one!" Konan yelled, dragging him out the door.

"What the hell is a Yahiko?" Deidara yelled, shoving all of his things into his pockets.

* * *

A/N: I know that I skipped/paraphrased a lot of Sasuke's lecture in the beginning. But really, I can't type out that whole conversation.


	2. First sighting of Yahiko

A/N: I'm combining things from the anime, the games, and a bunch of the generations. This will be set in Kanto, but there will be things from later generations, too. Like berries and certain pokemon moves/types.

* * *

"So… Where are we going exactly, un?" Deidara asked, glancing around the path he and Konan were walking along.

"To the next town, obviously."

"Yeah… What town is that?"

"Well since we're starting off near Pallet Town, I figure we should go to Viridian City… Then we could head over to Pewter City, and see if we can get our first gym badge."

"Okay…" Deidara muttered.

"We need thirteen badges to get to the elite four."

"Thirteen?" Deidara sighed.

"It's going to be rough, but I know I can do it!"

"Where do we get all thirteen, un?"

"There used to be eight. But now, there's a bunch of what they call 'Shinobi badges'."

"Since when, un?"

"I don't know. Pretty recently."

"How'd you hear about it, un?"

"It was all over the news a few days ago. Didn't you see it?"

"No, un. Where are these badges, anyway? Actually, _what_ are badges?"

"Badges are what you get for defeating gym leaders. There's usually a gym leader in every town, but sometimes there's exceptions. You need all thirteen to battle Elite Four and become the champion. And, about the Shinobi badges... The people on the news wouldn't tell us where they are. They're in these hidden villages all over the place. We have to find them by ourselves."

"Then how are we supposed to find them, un?"

"People have been to them before. They'll help us find the villages. But come on, we have to get going if we're going to get to the next town! I hear it takes almost a whole day's worth of walking!"

"Screw that, I'm not walking." Deidara said, reaching down for his bag of clay.

"Then what are you going to do?"

"Clearly I'm going to fly." Deidara said.

"How? You don't have a flying type."

"I'll make a bird."

"I know you like to sculpt Pokémon, but you can't actually make them move unless you're in your Pokémon form." Konan informed him.

Deidara found that this was true. No matter how much he yelled at his little clay eagle, it wouldn't grow or move.

"Fine, un. Then I'll just change into my Pokémon form." Deidara said, reaching for his Pokéformer.

"NO!" Konan screamed, stopping his hand.

"Why not, un?"

"It's against the rules."

"Rules of what?"

"The rules of the Pokéformer. If someone catches you using it outside of battle when you're not in a safe zone, you'll get busted for it."

"You used it outside of battle!" Deidara yelled.

"That was a safe zone."

"What is a 'safe zone'?" Deidara asked.

"You can use it in towns, or in the event of an emergency."

"If I punch you hard enough, can we call that an emergency, un?"

"If you punch me, I'll rip your head off. Let's get going. Hey, why don't we let our Pokémon out for a while, too?"

"…Fine..."

"Alright!" Konan yelled, throwing Squirtle's Pokéball up. "Come on out!"

A Squirtle jumped out of the Pokéball, landing at Konan's feet. It looked at her as if he were examining her.

"Aw, you're cute, aren't you?" She asked, pulling it up into a hug. Deidara smiled and released his charmander from its Pokéball.

"_Char_!"

"You're gonna love that thing when it evolves." Konan said. "It's going to be a huge dragon!

_"mander?"_

"A dragon? A full-sized dragon?" Deidara asked.

"Yeah. It'll be able to breathe fire and every- AH!"

Deidara looked over at Konan, who was now soaking wet. Squirtle sat by her feet, looking displeased.

"What happened, un?"

"Squirtle hit me with a water gun!" She yelled, wringing out her hair.

"Oh…"

"My hair takes forever to dry, too..."

_"Char? Mander?"_ Charmander asked, pointing at the flame on its tail.

"Good idea." Deidara said. "Konan, let me see your hair."

"Why?"

"We'll dry it off."

"Alright." She said, sitting down.

So, Charmander held its tail up to Konan's hair. Deidara reached back to see if he had anything useful in his bag. Certainly his 'mother' must've packed him something for his hair. His was pretty long, too.

"Hey Deidara? How long does this usually take?"

"I don't know… I've never used a fire to dry my hair."

That was probably a good thing. Fire isn't exactly the best way to dry out your hair.

_"C-char! Charmander!"_

"What, un?" Deidara asked, looking back at charmander. "OH MY GOD!"

"What?" Konan asked.

"U-uh… N-nothing! Just… stay still!"

"What's going on?" Konan asked, standing back up. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing!"

"…Do you guys smell smoke…?"

"NOPE!" Deidara yelled, searching for a bottle of water.

Konan finally realized what was going on, and threw herself down against the ground to suffocate the fire.

_"Squirtle…"_ Squirtle muttered. Squirtle stood up and put the fire out with water gun.

"Nice job. Now my hair's wet _and_ burned..." Konan huffed, still lying on the ground.

_"Char…"_

"It's not your fault, Charmander. Maybe Konan shouldn't have let her hair so close to the flame."

"It's his fault." Konan said.

_"Ma-mander_…" Charmander whispered, looking down in shame.

"Just take the blame. It _is_ your fault, un."

"Well maybe _YOU_ shouldn't have let him near my hair. This is actually your fault."

"Don't blame me, either!"

"Well I should because it's _clearly_ your fault!" Konan snapped, annoyed with Deidara for not taking responsibility.

_"Charmander! Char!" _Charmander yelled.

"Oh, now you're going to defend him?" Konan asked.

That was when Charmander snapped. He unleashed an ember attack on Konan, who quickly jumped out of the way.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?" She yelled.

"Charmander, un!" Deidara yelled. "Don't do that!"

But, Charmander continued attacking. Eventually, it did hit something. But it wasn't Konan. A squeal of pain could be heard from the grass. Squirtle perked up and went to see what it was. What he pulled out of the grass was an orange-haired little boy.

_"Squirtle-squirt!"_

"I-is that what I think it is?" Konan asked.

"Yahi…" The boy muttered.

"A Yahiko!" She exclaimed, overjoyed by the fact she had found one.

"It looks like a kid." Deidara said.

"Yeah! But it's a Pokémon!"

Squirtle waved her over, pointing at a bright red spot on the Pokémon's leg.

"Oh… Your charmander burned the poor thing!" Konan yelled. "Squirtle, use water gun."

Squirtle inhaled deeply, looking at the Yahiko as if it were some kind of threat.

"NO!" Konan yelled, covering Squirtle's mouth. "Don't attack it! Use it to help the burn!"

Squirtle looked at her as if she were crazy. He released the water gun on her face, having no other target.

"…Please…?" She asked, wiping the fluid off.

So, Squirtle tried again, this time letting water trickle out onto the burn.

"There… That should be better." Konan said, pushing the Yahiko up into a sitting position.

"Ya… hiko?"

"Hey, Konan, un?"

"Yeah?"

"What are those?" Deidara asked, pointing at a large mass of orange-haired Pokémon up in a tree. They seemed to be staring at Konan.

"Those must be Yahiko-san… I wonder if there are any Pein here, too. Anyway, time to catch this Yahiko!" She said, taking an empty Pokéball out.

"YA… YAHIKO!" The burned Pokémon cried, trying to signal for help. Konan backed away, knowing that something would probably answer. She was right.

A Pein jumped from the top of the tree, landing in front of the Yahiko. Deidara smiled when he noticed it was wearing an Akatsuki cloak, with the collar all the way up to the middle of its face.

"Leader-sama?" Deidara asked, running up to it.

"Deidara! Don't get too close! Those things are dangerous!" Konan yelled.

"Konan, it's Pein. He wouldn't hurt us, un. Well, not badly." Deidara said, poiting at the creature.

"Are you insane?" Konan yelled. "Do you have a death wish?"

Deidara opened his mouth to ask her what she was talking about. He was interrupted by a low growl coming from the angry Pein he was standing with. That's when Deidara decided that maybe this wasn't his brightest idea.

"Back away, Deidara… slowly…" Konan said.

Deidara started backing toward Konan. The Pein lifted the Yahiko up, and leapt back into the large tree it had come out of.

"Are you okay?" Konan asked, walking up to Deidara.

"Yeah… I think so, un."

"Good. Now… let's keep going… please."

"Why didn't you catch that Yahiko? You could've, un."

"I doubt the Yahiko-san and the Pein would've let me…"

"Could've taken them on in your Pokémon form."

"I'm not strong enough to take down a Pein, Deidara. But I'll get a Yahiko someday!"

* * *

A/N: End of chapter two! Tell me if you have suggestions, or any certain battles you would like to see!


	3. Deidara catches a Pokemon

A/N: For the sake of the fic, Nagato and Pein ARE NOT the same person. Nagato isn't controlling Pein. They're separate. Okay?

* * *

"Do… all Pokémon stay in packs like that?" Deidara asked.

"Some don't. A lot do, though." Konan said.

"Then how the heck are you going to catch a Yahiko if they're always guarded like that, un?"

"I… don't know." Konan admitted. "But there's got to be a way. Other people have them."

"Is there any way to separate it from the pack?"

"…Maybe I'll get a Nagato first… That should help."

"A what?"

"It's another kind of Pokémon. They can be really dangerous… They don't live in packs, though."

"How is that going to help you catch a Yahiko?"

"In the pokédex, it says that the two Pokémon have some kind of bond."

"So?"

"So it'll probably make it easier to catch."

"And where do we intend to find a Nagato?"

"…Well, there should be a lot of them up past Pewter city…"

"Where's that?"

"Two towns away. But they're there. There's supposed to be a lot at Mt. Moon, in the caves between Pewter City and Cerulean City."

"But not in packs?"

"Nagato and its evolutions are _there_, but not as a big family group."

"Great! So we'll capture the last evolution and kick some ass, un!"

"N-no."

"Why not?"

"The last evolution is extremely powerful. It would be easier to catch a Nagato and then wait until it evolves."

"Fine…"

* * *

"So, have you thought about your strategy for the first gym yet?" Konan asked.

"Not really. Have you, un?"

"Kind of. I know squirtle will be a good choice, since he's a water type… And I'm a grass type, so that'll help."

"Sounds like you're set, then."

"I think I'm going to try and get a third Pokémon… you know, a backup."

"What kind?"

"I don't know yet. It's gotta be something… quick… Agile… Maybe a flying type?"

"I didn't think wind really did anything against earth."

"But they could still be useful. You know, tire the opponent out a little bit."

"I guess so, un. So, what kind of pokemon are you going to catch?

"I don't know yet… There aren't a whole lot from here to Pewter… Just Pidgey, Pidgeotto, and Spearow… Butterfree is a flying type, but that's also a bug type. Plus I'd have to find a caterpie and then make it evolve…"

"It sounds like a Butterfree is the best choice, un."

"What makes you say that?"

"Double type. Bug _and_ flying. Double types always make things better, un."

"True… But first we have to find a caterpie."

"Are they anywhere near us?"

"Viridian forest… There are a lot of them in there."

"Great, un. Then it's settled. We'll find some in Viridian forest, and head for the gym."

"First we actually have to get to the city." Konan pointed out.

"Oh… Yeah. Are we almost there?"

"How should I know?"

"You seem to know everything else, un."

"It's supposed to take almost a whole day of walking."

"It's getting dark."

"In that case, we should be there soon."

"Finally. I'm getting hungry, un."

"Yeah… I bet our Pokémon are hungry, too."

A few minutes later, Konan noticed something strange. It appeared to be a boy, with his head poked into a hole in a tree.

"Hey… Do you see that?" She asked, pointing to the unusual sight.

"What about it, un?" Deidara asked.

"It's… not moving."

"…So…?"

"Is it… dead?"

"Probably not."

"Should we check?"

So, Deidara picked up a very long stick, and began poking the creature in the back. It squealed, and began to struggle. Clearly, it was stuck.

"What is it, anyway?" Konan asked.

"I don't know, un. Let's see if the Pokédex has any information."

Name: Tobi

Species: Masked

Type: Normal

Evolutionary chain: Evolves into Madara

This Pokémon is extremely friendly to other creatures. Their cruel parents usually abandon them at birth, which usually makes them very needy and affectionate to others, in hopes of finding a foster parent. However, because they were never disciplined, they can also be very unruly.

00000000000000000000000000

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 3

Defense: 2

Special attack: 2

Special defense: 3

Speed: 3

00000000000000000

"Tobi, un?" Deidara asked. "That's… weird."

"When it evolves, it'll be terrifying." Konan said. "Madara are extremely powerful. We should probably help it get out of that tree, though."

"I guess so, un. Should we just… pull it out?"

"I think I have a better idea." Konan said. "Get one of your empty pokéballs."

"Why? Are we going to catch it?"

"No. I'm just saying that you can use that to get it out of the tree and then let it go."

"Oh. Okay, then."

So, Deidara touched the Pokéball to Tobi, successfully removing him from the tree. To his surprise, Tobi didn't struggle at all.

"Maybe it's just too weak to break out. Who knows how long it's been stuck there…" Konan said.

Deidara released Tobi from the Pokéball. It certainly didn't seem tired. It ran up, Hugged Deidara, and went back into the Pokéball.

"I guess… You're keeping it, then." Konan said. "Well, at least you've caught a Pokémon. That'll help you in a gym battle. We should get it checked out at the next Pokémon center"

"True, un… I guess."

* * *

"Finally… That was good, un." Deidara said, walking out of the restaurant.

"Yeah. Now all we need to do is figure out where we're staying for the night."

"Hotel, un?"

"I hear the Pokémon center will let you stay there. Plus, I wanted to go see it. I hear it's huge."

"Alright. Tomorrow we'll go through Viridian Forest, un. Right?"

"Yeah. We'll head out tomorrow as soon as I go and get some supplies."

"Like what?"

"Food. Water. Stuff."

"Alright… Let's go then, un."


	4. Team Rocket strikes!

A/N: Updates for the next few chapters should be fast, since I have _WAY_ too much of this fic already planned out.

By the way, I've decided that Pokémon will be able to learn more than four moves in this fic. Four moves does NOT give me room to do cool stuff.

* * *

The next day happened to be a very nice one. The sky was blue, and little puffy clouds drifted along in the breeze. Unfortunately, Deidara happened to miss a good part of the day, waking up at 11:18. When he finally did open his eyes for the first time that morning, all he could see was a large orange mask, and a little red eye.

"AAH!" He screamed, shoving the thing away. When he pulled himself up, he could see that it was Tobi. "Tobi, un? What the hell are you doing?"

"To…bi…" He muttered, sitting back up.

"…What…?"

"To-Tobi!" He yelled back, obviously upset about being shoved.

"What are you…? Oh… Wait." Deidara muttered, remembering where he was. "…Sorry… I forgot that Pokemon can only say their names."

"Tobi…" He growled, handing Deidara a piece of paper.

_Out to buy supplies. Meet me at the Viridian Forest entrance at 10:00_

_-Konan_

"What time is it…? _11:20? _I'm an hour and a half late, un!"

Deidara jumped up and threw on his clothes before running out into the main hall of the Pokémon center. Then, he realized that he had no idea where Viridian Forest was.

"I don't suppose you know where Viridian Forest is, do you, un?" Deidara asked Tobi. Tobi shrugged, leaving Deidara wondering what to do now. "There's gotta be someone who can help us…"

"Help you with what?" Nurse Joy asked.

"Do you know where Viridian Forest is, un?" He asked, turning to her.

"Well, I can't give you great directions, but I'm sure the ANBU Team would help you find it."

"…Um… Right… The ANBU…" Deidara muttered.

"Is there a problem?"

"N-no, of course not." Deidara lied, walking out the front door. "ANBU are great, un!"

"O-okay… bye."

"Can't let the ANBU find us… We're S rank criminals."

"Tobi…?"

"Right… Maybe you're not. I doubt you were even S rank back at home."

"Can I help you sir?"

Deidara turned to find a woman on a motorcycle wearing an ANBU mask.

"N-nope! No problems here, un! Just heading to Viridian Forest!"

"Sir, I should advise you not to go there."

"N-no, really! It'll be fine! I really gotta get going!"

"Sir-"

"Look, lady. I'm going and that's final, un."

The lady took off her mask to reveal her face. It was none other than Officer Jenny.

"Sir, there are Pokémon thieves on the loose. They were last seen in Viridian Forrest. If you care to keep your Pokémon, you should stay out of there. My team of ANBU has been looking into it, but they haven't found anything."

"Um… Seriously, I'll be fine. I have a friend going with me, un."

"At least take one of my ANBU with you. It'll make sure you get through there safely." Jenny said, releasing an ANBU member from a Pokéball. It stood up, and looked up at Jenny for instructions.

"Please escort this man through Viridian forest."

It ran to Deidara's side.

"I just want to go in there with my friend. We'll be fine, un. We have Pokémon with us."

"…Alright, sir… If you see anything suspicious, come back here immediately!" She said, putting the ANBU back in its Pokéball.

"Yes, Ma'am, un." Deidara said. "Um… By the way, where is Viridian Forest?"

"Oh, it's just up that path, past the Pokémon gym." Jenny said, pointing to a path on her left.

"Oh. Okay, thanks, un."

Deidara began walking up the path, and began to wonder why they weren't challenging the Pokémon gym _here_. Konan had said that they were going to get their first badge up in Pewter City. He decided that he would ask her later on.

* * *

When he finally arrived at the entrance to Viridian Forest, Konan was there. She was sitting on a bench, looking bored.

"Took you long enough." She said.

"Yeah, well… I was busy, un."

"I noticed. I managed to shop _and_ catch a Pokémon in the time it took you to get here."

"What'd you catch, un?" He asked.

"A Metapod." She said, releasing it from its Pokéball. "I figure it'll evolve quickly, since it's a bug Pokémon. Then it'll be a Butterfree and it'll help me in the Pokémon gym."

"That's good."

"Yeah. You should probably get a fighting type or something while we're here."

"There's some in the forest, un?"

"No. But from this town, there's a path up to the Pokémon elite four. On the way there, I hear there's a lot of Mankey."

"So… I'll go get one, and then we'll head through the forest."

"Yeah. I figured it'd be the perfect Pokémon for you."

"What makes you say that?"

"It's hot-headed, and so are you."

"…Am not…"

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Your art sucks."

"Excuse me? My art is amazing and apparently someone like you can't appreciate its-!"

"Case and point." Konan said.

"…Shut up…"

"You go, I'll wait here."

* * *

"So… There's supposedly a bunch of Mankey here?" Deidara asked, looking around the empty pathway. "What the hell are Mankey, anyway?"

"To…" Tobi muttered, scanning the trees for any sign of life.

"Do you see any, un?" Deidara asked.

"Tobi..."

"I'm guessing that's a 'no', un." Deidara muttered, kicking a small rock out of frustration. Unfortunately, that small stone happened to fly up and hit a Mankey who had been hiding in a tree. Being the hot-headed Pokémon it was, the Mankey immediately got angry and leapt down onto the path.

"What's that?" Deidara asked.

"MANKEY!" His pokedex yelled. "This pokemon is usually calm. However, if it is upset, it is impossible to calm down."

"Tobi!" Tobi yelled, running out in front of Deidara.

"Alright, Tobi! Use... Wait… What moves do you know?"

Tobi looked back at Deidara, disappointment visible from just his stance.

"Seriously… What moves do you know, un?"

Tobi sighed and turned back to Mankey just in time to dodge what would've been a very painful Mega Punch.

"Don't just stand there, un! Do something!"

Well, Tobi wasn't about to disobey a direct order. He continued to dodge Mankey's attacks until he saw an opening to land an attack. Deidara watched as Tobi began hitting Mankey with a flurry of punches.

"What move is that…?" Deidara muttered.

"COMET PUNCH." The pokédex yelled. Deidara took it out of his pocket to listen to the rest. "This attack unleashes a quick series of punches."

"…Ah…" Deidara muttered.

Tobi backed away after he finished his attack, waiting for the Mankey to make a move. Mankey got up and immediately jumped up into the trees.

"D-did it get away, un?" Deidara asked.

The answer to that was 'no'. Mankey wasn't about to _run away_. Instead, it jumped back out of the tree, and landed a solid Karate Chop on Tobi's head. Fortunately, one attack was not going to take Tobi down.

He grabbed the Mankey's arm, and held it against a tree. Deidara watched as Tobi pulled his mask up to reveal his mouth. Unfortunately, he wasn't facing Deidara. So, he didn't quite get to see any of Tobi's face.

"What are you doing?" Deidara asked. His question was answered as Tobi forced his mouth onto the Mankey's forehead. The Mankey stopped moving before going limp. Tobi ran back to Deidara, and waited to be congratulated. The Mankey fell to the ground in a deep sleep.

"What… did you do, un?"

"Lovely kiss." The pokédex said. "The user Pokémon forces a kiss onto the opponent, putting it to sleep."

"…Well, that's an… _interesting way_… to win a fight." Deidara muttered. "But it worked. Good job, un."

"Tobi!" Tobi giggled.

"Well, let's catch this thing." Deidara said, throwing a Pokéball at the Pokémon. It hardly struggled, since it was asleep. Deidara walked over and retrieved the ball before walking back to Viridian Forest.

* * *

"Did you get one?" Konan asked.

"Sure did. By the way, is there any way to find out what moves Pokémon know?"

"You just hit the 'moves' button on the pokédex." Konan said.

"…Oh…" Deidara muttered, feeling as though he should've figured that out himself.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah."

* * *

"How big is the stupid forest?" Deidara asked.

"It takes about a day and a half to get through. We're going to end up sleeping here." Konan said. "I got some sleeping bags."

"Oh, great, un." Deidara muttered.

"Stop complaining. You wanted to come on a journey with Pokémon. Nobody said it was going to be easy."

"When did I say _anything_ about wanting to go on a journey?"

"You wouldn't shut up about it from the day you could talk to the day we started."

"What?"

"Come on! The further we get today, the less walking we have to do in the morning."

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Someone yelled.

"Huh?

"Prepare for trouble!" The same voice yelled.

"Make it double!" Another said.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all peoples within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie!" A woman yelled, jumping out onto the path.

"James," Said a man, following the woman's lead.

"Team rocket blast off at the speed of light."

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight."

"Meeeowth that's right!" A Meowth said, jumping between the two people.

"Team… rocket?" Deidara asked. "Never heard of you."

"Listen, kid. Give us the Tobi 'n nobody gets hurt." The Meowth said.

"Is it… talking?" Konan asked.

"Got a problem, lady? Hand over the Tobi!"

"Why should I?" Deidara asked.

"When it evolves, it'll be extremely powerful." James said.

"We think it'll make a nice gift for our boss, okay?" Meowth asked.

"These must be the Pokémon thieves that ANBU lady was talking about, un." Deidara said.

"Seems like we're getting famous." Jessie muttered.

"Back off! We have Pokémon to defend ourselves!" Konan said, releasing Squirtle from its Pokéball.

"How cute." James said. "She thinks she can stop us."

"If she wants a battle, let's show her a battle." Jessie said. "Go! Ekans!"

"Koffing, come on out!"

"Well, this could be bad. Go, Mankey!" Deidara yelled.

Unfortunately, Mankey was still asleep. It hadn't been long enough since it was 'kissed'.

"…Tobi, you idiot…" Deidara muttered.

"To…bi?"

"Ekans! Use wrap!"

The Ekans hissed and wrapped its body around Squirtle, making sure it wouldn't move.

"Koffing, tackle attack!"

"Tobi, Comet Punch!"

Tobi screeched as Koffing smashed into him, and was unable to attack.

"Ekans! Get that Tobi!" Jessie commanded.

"Squirtle! Water Gun!" Konan yelled.

"Koffing! Smokescreen!"

Squirtle's Water Gun was wasted, as it couldn't aim due to the large cloud of gas being spread around the area.

"Deidara! Can you see anything?" Konan yelled.

"No! Tobi! Where are you!"

"T-Tobi!" It yelled.

"Sorry, you lose." James said. "We'll be taking this Tobi now. Ta-ta!"

* * *

A/N: All done. And I'm aware that Mankey probably wouldn't know Mega Punch right after it was picked up off of that route, but whatever.

And the Lovely Kiss… I just felt like that was a move that Tobi would have. Don't ask why, I'm not entirely sure myself.


	5. The Rescue

A/N: Well, here's the next chapter! Anyway, I'm not exactly sure how Konan fought during her adventures with Yahiko and Nagato during the Great War (and that's what her current evolution is based on). I'm assuming she had her paper jutsu, but didn't give herself wings. I think that probably came after she was called an 'angel' (Her final evolution). So, just keep that in mind, I guess.

* * *

Deidara was slightly disoriented by the cloud of smoke covering the area. He couldn't tell which direction he was traveling in, and despite his effort to avoid breathing in the fumes, they were making him dizzy. However, this didn't impair his judgment. When someone finally grabbed his shoulder, he spun around and attempted to land a kick to the side of the head. Unfortunately, the person stopped his leg before it made contact, and threw him out of the gas cloud. Deidara stood back up to see Itachi carrying Mankey out of the smoke, Konan right behind him. After everyone was done choking, they looked up to see a giant Meowth balloon floating away.

"You can get us up there, can't you?" Itachi asked, glancing at Deidara.

"Not without my birds, un."

"Then get into your Pokémon form." Itachi said, quickly transforming into his own Pokémon form.

"I thought that was only for emergencies." Deidara said, returning Mankey to its Pokéball.

"I believe this qualifies as an emergency." Konan pointed out, already prepared for battle.

Deidara realized that this was probably true. He quickly made use of his Pokéformer and spit out a large clay eagle. Everyone jumped on and clung to the bird as it rocketed up toward the Meowth balloon.

"So what's the plan, un?"

Itachi took a Pokéball off his belt, and pressed the center button twice, releasing a Pokémon. Deidara flinched as a Beedrill took shape no more than ten inches away from him.

"What is that, un?" Deidara asked.

"A Beedrill." Itachi sighed, slightly annoyed by the question. "I'll take care of the Rockets. Beedrill and Konan, you take out the balloon. Deidara, get everyone out of there when we're done."

"Alright." Konan said, her form quickly falling into a shapeless mass of paper butterflies. Itachi watched as Konan and Beedrill flew into position.

"Get me to the basket."

Deidara turned his bird and flew up next to Team Rocket, who looked slightly shocked by the whole situation. Itachi jumped into the basket, immediately kicking James in the face. James stumbled backward, falling over the wall of the basket. Jessie grabbed his arm before he could fall to the ground.

"If you want dat Tobi back, you gotta get though Meeeowth!" Meowth yelled, jumping up onto the basket wall.

"…I advise you not to interfere…" Itachi said.

"Don't get too cocky, bub."

Itachi looked Meowth in the eye. Jessie watched as Meowth began to sway, before falling back into the basket.

"What did you do to him?" Jessie asked, still trying to pull James back up.

"Hypnosis… And now, Nightmare."

Finally, Jessie did manage to pull James back up. Unfortunately, it was a little too late for Meowth. He was currently thrashing about on the floor of the basket, looking very distressed.

"I'll be taking this back." Itachi said, picking up the cage that Tobi was in. He jumped back out of the balloon, where Deidara caught him on his bird.

"Oh, no you don't!" Jessie yelled, taking out a Pokéball. Unfortunately for her, Beedrill and Konan decided that now would be a good time to pop the balloon. Beedrill circled it, thrusting its stinger into the balloon at random. Konan was closer to the basket, her butterflies cutting the ropes that held the basket and the balloon together. The balloon began jerking around in the air, throwing the basket up toward the sky.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" They yelled. Konan came back to Deidara's bird and reassembled herself. Itachi withdrew Beedrill and began working on the lock on Tobi's cage.

"That wasn't so hard." Itachi said, opening the cage. Once Tobi stepped out, Itachi pushed the cage off of the bird, letting it fall to the ground.

"What did you do to that Meowth?" Konan asked, picking up her shopping bags.

"I used Hypnosis, and then Nightmare."

"You can use Pokémon moves?" Deidara asked, returning Tobi to his Pokéball.

"While in Pokémon form, yes."

"Do you have a pokédex entry, un?"

"All Pokémon do."

Deidara pulled out his Pokédex, and aimed it at Itachi.

Name: Itachi

Species: Traitor

Type: Dark/Fire

Evolutionary chain: Does not evolve.

When properly trained, this pokemon can be an extremely powerful ally, and a frightening foe.

00000000000000000000000000

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 3

Defense: 2

Special attack: 5

Special defense: 4

Speed: 4

0000000000000000

"Your species… Traitor?" Deidara asked, landing his bird.

Itachi jumped off and began walking away, avoiding the question.

"I wonder what _your_ pokédex entry says." Konan said, pulling out her own Pokédex.

"Hey, where are you going?" Deidara yelled. Despite hating Itachi, he _was_ one of the few familiar people in this world.

"I don't want to be stuck in this forest forever." Itachi said.

"Wait up, un!"

"Stop moving!" Konan yelled, chasing after them. "Don't you want to know what your pokédex entry says?"

"We should probably get _out_ of our Pokémon forms now." Itachi said, returning to his normal form.

"Fine, un…"

* * *

"It's getting dark, un. Maybe we should stop for the night."

"Yes. We'll get out of here in the morning." Itachi said.

"I got sleeping bags when I was shopping if you want them." Konan said, pulling them out of one of her shopping bags.

"Sure, un."

"No, thanks." Itachi said, sitting back against a nearby tree.

"Your loss." Deidara muttered, spreading one out for himself.

Konan flinched as one of her pokéballs opened from her belt. It was her Squirtle, who apparently didn't want to sleep in its Pokéball tonight. It stared at Itachi, since it had never met him.

"Oh, right. Squirtle, that's Itachi. Itachi, Squirtle."

Itachi nodded at squirtle, who nodded back. After the brief introduction, squirtle walked to the tree Itachi was sitting against, and sat against the opposite side.

"I guess Squirtle's staying with you tonight." Konan said.

Deidara sat down on his sleeping bag, suddenly wondering what he would have for dinner.

"Did you buy any food?" Deidara asked.

"Didn't your mom pack you any before you left?"

"Possibly." He muttered, opening his bag. Indeed, she had packed food. There were quite a few rice balls and dangos wrapped in tinfoil. While they were rather squished, they were still edible. "Hey… What about our Pokémon, un?"

"I have Pokémon food." Itachi said, reaching into his bag.

"Yeah, I bought some, too." Konan muttered.

"So you buy Pokémon food, but not people food?" Deidara asked, taking a bite of his dango.

"I already had food in my bag and I figured you did, too!" Konan snapped.

"Yeah, yeah…"

"By the way… I still want to see your pokédex entry ." Konan said.

"Oh… Yeah, sure." Deidara muttered, changing into Pokémon form. Konan took out her pokédex, and aimed it at him.

Name: Deidara

Species: Pyrotechnician

Type: Ground

Evolutionary chain: Does not evolve.

This Pokémon is easily angered and quick to attack. The mouths on its hands also function as weapons when needed. Even the most skilled of trainers can have a hard time taming this Pokémon because of its wild nature.

00000000000000000000000000

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 4

Defense: 3

Special attack: 2

Special defense: 3

Speed: 3

0000000000000000

"Sounds right." Konan said.

"Yeah, un." Deidara agreed, returning to his normal form.

* * *

A/N: In the next chapter, there WILL be a gym battle! Be prepared!

Oh, and the hypnosis/nightmare combination that Itachi used… My logic was that Hypnosis and Nightmare were equivalent to the Mangekyou Sharingan. So, that's where that came from.


	6. Deidara's first gym battle

A/N: So, people have voted on Nagato's hair color. But, I have a plan to include both black and red hair. Sound good?

* * *

"Did he just… leave, un? Without waking us up?"

"Looks like it. I guess he got an early start. We'll catch up with him eventually."

"Yeah, un. I'm just surprised he managed to get all his stuff and leave without one of us waking up."

"He never unpacked. He probably just picked up his bag and walked away."

"Alright, whatever. Wake up Squirtle and let's go, un." Deidara said, rolling up his sleeping bag.

Konan turned around to find Squirtle in the exact same spot he was earlier. However, instead of leaning against the tree, he had fallen forward and was now sleeping on his stomach, drooling.

"Hey, Squirtle… It's time to get up so we can get to Pewter city…" Konan said, shaking Squirtle awake. Squirtle opened its eyes and looked up at Konan, slightly annoyed by being woken up. However, he quickly jumped to his feet after realizing that he had been drooling. He wiped it off his face and jumped back in his pokéball to avoid any awkward silence.

"Heh… Looks like Squirtle's embarrassed, un. Let's go."

"Since we're going to Pewter City, we're going to get our first gym badge. Do you want to fight the leader first, or should I?" Konan asked.

"Does it matter?"

"Well, I was going to wait until I had a Nagato and a Yahiko."

"Why would you wait? Could just do it now."

"There are plenty of Nagato in Mt. Moon, and I was going to go back to that place where we saw those Yahiko earlier. Then I'd have both and therefore have a better chance of beating the gym leader."

"Then I'll battle the gym leader now, and then you can do it when we get back with a Yahiko and a Nagato, un. So, we'll head straight for the gym when we get to Pewter City."

"Okay then. But… shouldn't we get Tobi checked at the Pokémon center before we go?"

"…Fine… Oh, and I forgot to ask you something."

"What?"

"There was a gym at the last city we visited, right?"

"Yeah."

"Why didn't we just challenge that one?"

"Because that gym has been shut down for a while now."

"Why, un?"

"Nobody knows. The gym leader just kind of disappeared. Everyone's been looking for him, since we can't get into the Pokémon league challenge unless we beat him. Don't worry, though. I'm sure he'll come back before we get the rest of the badges."

"Yeah, he _better_ be back by then."

* * *

"Here you are, sir. Your Tobi is just fine. He was just a little shaken."

"Thanks… Hey… Aren't you the same lady from Viridian city, un?" Deidara asked, looking back at Nurse Joy.

"No, that was my sister! There's one of us in every city!"

"…So… How many are there, exactly?"

"Well, there are a lot of us in other regions, too… Oh, I really don't know. There's too many to count."

"Family reunions must be interesting."

"Yeah! I meet someone new every time!"

"…Right… I'm gonna go now, un." Deidara muttered, walking away with Tobi's Pokéball.

"Bye! Come back if you need to!"

"Will do." Deidara said, walking out the door.

"How'd it go?" Konan asked, standing outside the Pokémon center.

"Tobi's fine. I guess he was just a little freaked out after the 'kidnapping' incident. So, let's go challenge that gym!"

"Alright. After that, we'll go to Mt. Moon and see if I can find a Nagato."

"Right, un."

* * *

"This gym… looks… interesting." Deidara muttered, staring up at the Pewter City gym.

"I wonder who the leader is." Konan said, walking through the doors. The gym was very dark, and seemed to be empty.

"Hello, un?"

"Are you here to challenge the gym?" Someone asked, stepping out of the shadows.

"Um… yeah. Who are you?"

"I'm Brock. I'm the leader of this gym, and I specialize in rock types."

"Alright then, un. So… do we get started now or what, un?"

"Is this your first gym battle?"

"Yeah."

"Let me explain the rules. For this match, you can use two Pokémon."

"Can we use our Pokémon form, un?"

"You have a Pokéformer?"

"Yes."

"Then you're from one of the Shinobi villages, aren't you?"

"Yeah, sure…"

"Yeah, you can use it. But that counts as your second Pokémon. Plus, you can't use your Pokéformer until your first Pokémon faints."

"Alright, un."

"The match is over when both of the Pokémon we're using faint. If mine faint first, you win, and vice-versa."

"What if they faint at the same time?"

"You win."

"Great, un!"

"What Pokémon will you be using?"

"Mankey and myself, un." Deidara said, taking Mankey's Pokéball off his belt.

"I won't be going easy on you." Brock said, snapping his fingers.

"Wouldn't expect you to, un." Deidara retorted, stepping out of the way of the moving gym floor.

"Good luck." Konan said.

Brock glanced at Konan, noticing her for the first time.

"U-uh… Hi, miss! I'm Brock!" The gym leader yelled, running up to her and grabbing her hands.

"Yeah, I heard." Konan said, awkwardly trying to back away.

"Are you challenging the gym, too?"

"Uh… Y-yeah, but not yet. Later."

"Well, stop by anytime you want! I'd be happy to help train you… I mean your Pokémon!"

"…Right… I'll… be sure to remember that." Konan said, yanking her hands out of his grasp.

Deidara coughed, waiting for Brock to initiate the battle.

"Oh… Right." Brock muttered, walking back to his position. "Go, Geodude!"

"Mankey, come on out, un!"

The two Pokémon stared at each other, waiting for orders.

"Your move first." Brock said.

"Alright then… Mankey, Low Kick!"

"You idiot!" Konan yelled.

"What, un?"

Brock didn't even bother to make Geodude dodge. Mankey charged at it, and made a quick sweeping kick under Geodude. It's foot barely touched Geodude's underside.

"Low kick doesn't work well on Geodude!" Konan said. "It's a move that turns an opponent's weight against them. But Geodude doesn't have legs, so Low Kick won't do anything!"

"Why not, un?"

"It trips the opponent! Geodude doesn't have legs! You can't trip something that floats!"

"Right..."

"Geodude, use tackle!"

"Mankey, dodge it!"

Mankey did manage to avoid a head-on collision, though Geodude still grazed Mankey, causing a little bit of damage.

"Mega punch!"

"Deidara, don't you understand type advantages at all?" Konan yelled. "Normal type attacks won't do much on a Rock type!"

"Never mind, Mankey! Don't use Mega Punch!"

Mankey pulled back his fist before it struck Geodude and turned to glare at Deidara.

"Geodude, Rock Throw!"

Mankey turned back to the battle just in time to be hit in the face with a flying rock. A few more followed before Deidara actually said something.

"Seismic Toss, un!"

"Geodude, dodge it!"

However, it's rather difficult to dodge something that only needs to grab on to your wrist. Mankey managed to catch Geodude's hand, and jump up into the air. The next thing Geodude knew, it was flying toward the ground with a Mankey standing on its back.

"Geodude, Harden!"

Despite being slightly disoriented, Geodude did as it was told. It managed to survive being smashed into the ground, thanks to Brock's instruction. It floated back up, and threw Mankey off.

"Mankey, Karate Chop!" Deidara said.

"Defense curl!"

Mankey jumped up and prepared to strike Geodude with a solid blow. Geodude put its arms up to defend itself, but to no avail. Mankey's hand smashed Geodude into a nearby decorative rock. After the debris cleared, it was clear that Geodude was now unable to battle.

Brock withdrew Geodude before throwing another Pokéball onto the field.

"Go, Onix!"

Mankey and Deidara looked up at Onix, both wondering the same thing.

_How the hell am I going to beat that thing?_

"Uh… Alright, Mankey! Seismic toss!"

Mankey looked back at Deidara as if he were crazy.

"Do you really expect Mankey to _lift_ that thing?" Konan asked.

"…Karate Chop…?"

Mankey ran up to Onix, and attempted to hurt it with Karate chop. After a few blows, it was clear that Mankey wasn't going to make much progress.

"Onix, tackle."

Mankey looked like a deer in headlights as the giant rock serpent smashed into it. When Onix came back up, Mankey was lying in the ditch Onix had crated, unconscious and unable to continue.

"Mankey, return!" Deidara said, putting Mankey back in its Pokéball. "So… I get to use myself now, right, un?"

"Yes."

Deidara smiled and pressed the button on his Pokéformer.

"That Onix is going down." Deidara said, stepping onto the field.

"I'm excited to see this. I've never seen a Shinobi trainer in battle before."

"Shinobi can be much tougher opponents than Pokémon, if they've trained properly." Konan said. "This one might actually give your Onix some trouble."

"We'll see. Onix, tackle!"

Deidara wasn't about to be taken down by the exact same move that his Pokémon had. He easily jumped out of the way, smiling at how easy it was to avoid.

"Alright, now this should be fun! Onix, Rock Throw!"

Deidara began to jump away from the rocks, shoving his hands into his clay bag. He pulled out a wad of clay and began molding it. After throwing down a clay bird, Deidara began flying around the gym. He continued avoiding the large chunks of earth being thrown in his general direction, and molded a bunch of clay spiders. He looked over the side of his bird and dropped his creations onto Onix.

"Onix, shake them off!"

However, spiders don't usually come off very easily.

"KATSU!"

Onix roared as miniature explosions traveled all over its body.

"Onix, Dig!" Brock said, noticing that Deidara was making more clay spiders. Deidara stopped production, wondering where Onix had gone. His question was answered when it came flying out of the ground, smashing into the bird he was using. Deidara tumbled off the bird, trying despretely to make another before he hit the ground.

"Onix, bind it!"

Deidara winced as Onix's tail slammed into his stomach. He became worried as the bird in progress fell to the ground, leaving him without transportation. He tried to pull himself off of Onix's tail, but was instead immobilized after Onix wrapped his tail around Deidara's torso.

"Deidara, use Self-Destruct! That should take Onix out!" Konan suggested.

"Are you crazy? This is not worth dying for!"

"Who said you'll die? You'll just faint! I'll just take you to the Pokémon center after!"

"Who says I'll…? You're insane! Every law of nature says I'll die! If I blow myself- AAGH!"

Deidara was interrupted by a splitting pain in his stomach. Onix was tightening its grip, and it was getting hard to breathe.

"Just trust me! You'll be fine!"

Deidara didn't question Konan at this point. The pain was too severe to think. He somehow managed to yank his chest mouth open, and shove all of his remaining clay into it.

"KATSU!"

* * *

A/N: _Deidara is out of useable Pokémon! Deidara blacked out!_

Sorry, I just had to say that.


	7. To Mt Moon!

A/N: _Deidara was rushed to the Pokémon center!_

I had to say it!

* * *

"Well, look who's finally up." Konan sighed.

"I'm… alive, un?"

"Told you."

"But… How? I thought self-destruct… would kill the user?"

"You just faint, you don't actually _die_ or anything."

"…How are my clothes still okay…?" Deidara asked, noticing his clothes were still intact.

"The explosion doesn't destroy your clothes. It just passes through your clothes."

"There are so many things wrong with this place, un… How long have I been out?" Deidara asked, pushing himself up.

"A day or so."

"A whole day?"

"Yeah. "

"I hope that Onix got one hell of an injury from that, un!"

"It smashed right through the wall and fainted outside. Speaking of which, here's your boulder badge." Konan said, handing it to Deidara. "I got mine, too."

"I thought you were waiting until you had Nagato and Yahiko."

"Well, we're only allowed to use two Pokémon. I used squirtle and myself."

"How'd that go?"

"Pretty much the same as your battle. Squirtle took out Geodude, and I handled Onix."

"How did you take Onix down?"

"Grass type moves work wonders on Onix."

"Oh, good! You're awake!" Nurse joy said, walking into the room.

"Um… Yeah. Thanks, un. What happened to Mankey?"

"She's just fine. I think she's in her Pokéball, actually."

"Mankey's a girl?" Deidara asked, slightly shocked by the information.

"Yes. You didn't know?"

"No."

"Well… Now you do."

"I knew there was something feminine about Mankey." Konan said.

"Like what?" Deidara asked.

"I could just… tell. Now, can you walk yet?"

Deidara pushed himself out of the hospital bed. While he felt a little shaky, he was able to walk.

"I think I just need some food, un."

"No problem!" Nurse Joy said. "I can get you some food. Chansey! Sakura!"

"Sakura?" Deidara asked. "What the hell is she doing here?"

Deidara was confused when Sakura came in with a tray of food. He recognized her, but she looked a lot younger than he remembered. Three Chansey ran in after her, carrying condiments, forks, knives, and other things.

"I remember her being… taller, un."

"You might've seen the evolved form." Nurse Joy said.

Deidara pulled out his pokédex in an attempt to figure out what was going on.

Name: Sakura

Species: Medic

Type: Normal

Evolutionary chain: Evolves into Sakura-chan

These Pokémon are rarely used for fighting due to their fragility. They are more often used in Pokémon centers alongside Chansey. However, their evolved forms are powerful enough to cause earthquakes.

00000000000000000000000000

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 2

Defense: 2

Special attack: 2

Special defense: 3

Speed: 2

0000000000000000

Deidara stared blankly at his pokédex, still feeling confused. He came back to his senses when Nurse Joy came up beside him.

"I just need to remove the bandage on your arm." She said.

"What happened to my arm, un?"

"You fell right on this really sharp rock after you exploded, and cut your arm." Konan said. "It was small, but deep."

"Oh, it looks like it's still not fully healed. Sakura, use Softboiled." Nurse Joy instructed.

Deidara resisted the urge to strangle the Sakura as it walked up to him. He watched cautiously as its hands began glowing with chakra. The chakra moved to the palms of her hands, just before she pressed it against the wound. Deidara pulled his arm away as soon as the Sakura was done.

"All healed! Now eat up, you've got to be hungry." Nurse Joy said, following her Chansey and Sakura out of the room.

* * *

"So… This is Mt. Moon, un?"

"There's supposed to be Nagato here, but I hear they're hard to find because they're so shy."

"Great, un… Do you have a plan or something?"

"I thought I'd spread out some Pokémon food as bait."

"I could blow the place up and scare them out."

"No! Are you crazy!"

"Okay, okay. I was just kidding, un."

"You better be kidding." Konan growled, quickly making her way into the cave. Deidara followed her in, quickly realizing that it was much too dark to see.

"Get your charmander out." Konan instructed.

After a few minutes of fumbling with his Pokéballs, Deidara managed to release Charmander. The light on its tail illuminated the caves.

"Won't charmander spook the Pokémon?"

"I hope not."

_"You're traveling through the caves? I'm joining you."_

Deidara and Konan turned to see Itachi standing behind them.

"Well, look who wants to join us, un. The guy who just ditched us a few days ago."

"I had no need to stay with you. Now, it will be beneficial."

"We're not actually going through the caves. We're just looking for a Pokémon." Konan said.

"What Pokémon?"

"Nagato."

"I hear they're very difficult to find."

"We were going to spread out some bait."

"I'll join you then."

"Fine, un." Deidara muttered, walking deeper into the cave. Charmander followed closely behind, making sure that its light was able to reach the entire group.

A few minutes later, a low rumbling sound could be heard coming toward them.

"Do you hear something?" Konan asked.

"Sounds big, un."

Charmander ran ahead to see what it was while the ninjas stayed behind, feeling a little worried as Charmander left their view. It came running back a few seconds later, pointing at the walls rather frantically.

"What's wrong, un?"

Charmander began pushing on Deidara's leg, trying to shove him into the wall.

"Get against the walls." Itachi said, pushing himself up against the opposite side.

Deidara and Konan obeyed, and Charmander hid behind Deidara's leg. Everyone looked up in awe as a large Pokémon came into their view. It looked as if it were attached to a large steel table, with moving legs. Behind it was a concrete cross, with cables connecting to the main body. The Pokémon paid no mind to the ninja, acting as though they didn't exist. Deidara searched for its face, finally seeing an eye behind a mess of red hair.

"What is that thing?" Deidara whispered.

"It's Nagato's final evolution." Konan whispered back.

Deidara felt dwarfed by the Pokémon walking by him. When it got close, he could see a lot of dried blood on its back.

"What happened to it?"

"Nothing. That's how they look."

"The blood, too?" He asked.

"Yeah."

After the Pokémon had moved out of view, everyone moved away from the walls.

"That thing looked like it was in pain…" Deidara muttered.

"It probably was." Itachi said, continuing down the cave.

* * *

A/N: Short chapter, I know. A new, longer one should be out pretty fast.


	8. The shiny Nagato

A/N: I had too much fun writing this chapter… Sorry it took a while!

* * *

"I think this is probably a good spot." Konan said, glancing around the open area of the cave.

"So, you have bait, right?" Deidara asked.

"Yeah." Konan muttered, scattering Pokémon food across the floor.

"So now we just wait." Itachi sighed, sitting against the wall.

"Sounds fun, un."

"Not really."

The group waited in the cave for what felt like an eternity. It was dark in the cave, and Charmander's flame was only comparable to a nightlight. The ground might not have been comfortable, but boredom was eventually enough to lull everyone to sleep.

* * *

Deidara had a rather rude awakening, which involved Charmander yanking on his ponytail until he opened his eyes.

"What's your problem, Char-"

Deidara was cut off by Itachi, who quickly placed him in a headlock and put his hand over Deidara's mouth. Deidara glared at Itachi to the best of his ability before noticing a small creature going through Konan's bag. Konan was aware of this, but was trying not to make any sudden movements that might scare it away. Deidara pulled himself out of the headlock and took out his pokédex.

Name: Nagato

Species: Cry Baby

Type: Psychic

Evolutionary chain: Evolves into Nagato-san, then to Nagato-Sama

Nagato are usually very timid and avoid fights at all costs. They can release extremely powerful psychic attacks when threatened. These can cause severe injury and even death. However, these Pokémon can attach to their human trainers very easily.

00000000000000000000000000

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 2

Defense: 3

Special attack: 3

Special defense: 3

Speed: 3

0000000000000000

"That one looks different than the one we saw before, un."

"Of course it does. The last one we saw was the evolved form." Itachi said.

"No, I mean… Look at its hair. It's black."

Itachi stiffened, now even more determined not to scare it away.

"Get it." Itachi hissed. "Konan, get it."

Nagato watched Konan warily as she took an empty Pokéball off of her belt. He flinched when Konan tried to touch the Pokéball to his face to capture him. After a few more seconds of awkward silence, Nagato decided that sticking around wasn't in his best interest. He picked up Konan's bag and began running back into the deeper parts of the cave.

"Hey! That's my bag!" Konan yelled, chasing after him. Charmander jumped up on Deidara's shoulder as he and Itachi changed into their Pokémon forms to apprehend the fleeing bag-napper. Konan growled as she saw the two of them run by her, and quickly changed her own form to keep up with them.

"Bulbasaur, vine whip!" Itachi yelled, throwing Bulbasaur's Pokéball as far ahead of himself as he could. Bulbasaur came jumping out, quickly sending his vine forward until it struck Nagato in the back. An audible wince could be heard as the vine cut through the Pokémon's shirt and skin. Itachi picked Bulbasaur and the Pokéball up as he ran by; ensuring that his Pokémon could keep up with Nagato.

"Deidara, how about a bird?" Konan asked.

"Way ahead of you, un." Deidara said, spitting one out just as he finished his sentence. Itachi and Konan jumped on, and Deidara put the bird at full speed. Nagato's eyes seemed to grow three sizes larger as he saw the clay monster flying toward him. Deidara threw a couple of explosives at the ceiling, trying to block off the path. Nagato ducked under the falling rocks, and Deidara suddenly found himself being attacked by Zubat. Konan quickly disposed of them before they could really harm anyone.

"Dive-bomb it." Itachi growled, getting annoyed with the ongoing chase. Deidara forced his bird closer to the ground, its beak level with Nagato's head. However, Nagato was able to duck under the bird thanks to a Moon Stone that he had conveniently tripped over. Deidara pushed Charmander off his shoulder and tackled Nagato, pinning him to the ground. Konan's bag fell, spilling its contents across the floor of the cave. The rest of the passengers jumped off of the clay bird –which was still flying- and went to assist Deidara.

"I got him, un! I got him!" Deidara yelled, trying to wrestle Nagato into submission.

When Itachi, Konan, Bulbasaur and Charmander finally reached Deidara, Nagato was reaching for a kunai that had fallen out of Konan's bag. Itachi stomped on Nagato's wrist to stop him from getting the dangerous tool. Konan punched Itachi in the face as a crunching noise came from the Pokémon's crushed hand. Itachi pulled his foot back up as Nagato pulled his injured appendage back, howling in pain.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Konan screamed.

"He was reaching for a kunai." Itachi said calmly.

"And you probably just broke his wrist!"

Charmander bent down to inspect the damage, though Nagato saw it as a threat. Charmander moved back as Nagato looked up at him, the Rinnegan spinning wildly. Bulbasaur flinched when Charmander made a choking sound before falling on its back.

"Bulba!"

"Charmander, un? What the hell just happened?" Deidara asked.

"It must be using its psychic abilities." Itachi muttered, backing away from Nagato.

Bulbasaur whipped Nagato in the face, trying to avoid being hit with a psychic attack.

"Don't let him do that again, Bulbasaur." Itachi said. Bulbasaur took that as 'keep whipping it in the face'. After a few more blows, Konan jumped in front of Nagato, taking the vine whip herself. Nagato reached out to grab her ankle, and cling to it for dear life.

"Stop that!" She said. "Hitting the poor thing isn't going to help!"

"Move." Itachi growled, pushing her out of the way. He proceeded to push Deidara off and pick Nagato up by the collar of his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Konan asked.

Nagato looked away from Itachi's face as his sharingan began to spin. Itachi grabbed his chin and forced him to make eye contact. Konan watched carefully as Itachi put Nagato to sleep.

"You better not use Nightmare on him." She growled.

"O-of course not." Itachi muttered, awkwardly handing her the sleeping Pokémon. Konan took Nagato in her arms, holding him in a much more comfortable position than Itachi had.

Deidara put his unconscious Charmander back in its Pokéball and stood up. He looked down at the Moon Stone that Nagato had tripped on, and put it in his bag.

"What was that?" Itachi asked.

"A Moon Stone." Konan said, walking back toward the exit of the cave. "Keep it, Deidara. It might come in handy."

* * *

When the group arrived at the Pokémon center, Nurse Joy scolded them for having Nagato in such a condition. She had quickly carted him off into a treatment room to patch him up. He didn't wake up until after Nurse Joy had put him in a recovery room. When Deidara asked about his Charmander, he was told that it would be fine, and that it just needed rest.

Living in a cave his whole life, hospital lights were not exactly a welcome sight for Nagato. They were blinding, and the pain in his wrist was not exactly helping the situation. He buried his face in his free hand, trying to escape the light. His eyes finally adjusted a few minutes later, when he looked up to find Konan and Deidara standing over him.

"Well, I guess you're finally up." Konan muttered, looking down at Nagato.

Nagato stared at them for a few more seconds before they were pushed aside by Tobi, who extended his hand for a handshake. Nagato put his arms up to defend himself, thinking that Tobi was attacking.

"He's not dangerous, don't worry… Not intentionally, anyway, un." Deidara said.

Nagato put his arms down, and shook hands with Tobi. Mankey jumped up on Tobi's head a few seconds later, studying Konan's new Pokémon.

Nagato glanced around the room until he saw Itachi, with Bulbasaur sitting on his lap. Bulbasaur and Nagato shared an awkward glance before Charmander climbed up on Nagato's bed. Charmander seemed to be fully recovered, and had already forgiven Nagato for attacking him.

"Yahiko is next on your list, right?" Deidara asked.

"Yes. Then we'll go to Cerulean city."

"So… how long until we can leave, un?"

"I think we have to wait until his wrist is fixed."

"That takes six weeks!"

"No, you can leave before that." Nurse Joy said, passing by the room. "You just have to stay overnight so we can monitor him. By the way, do you want to stay in the guest beds?"

"Well, I'm certainly not sleeping on the couch, un." Deidara sighed, leaving Nagato's room.

"It's not even dark out yet." Nurse Joy said. "You're not really going to sleep now, are you?"

"No, but I don't want to be here all day." Itachi muttered. "I have better things to do."

"Yeah. Wait up." Konan said, leaving Nagato's bedside. She didn't get far before Nagato grabbed her wrist, trying to keep her in the room. She glanced back and forth between her Pokémon and her friends, unsure of what to do.

"We can bring back some dinner, un."

"Yeah. Do that." Konan sighed, sitting back down on the bed.

"Keep an eye on him. Don't let him run away." Itachi instructed.

"What is your issue? He's not going anywhere." Konan said.

"Good. Keep it that way. You do know what people would do to have a Pokémon like that, don't you?"

"They can catch their own."

"The chances of finding one like that are almost one in a million."

"A Nagato? They're hard to find, but hardly one in a million."

"Not the kind you have."

"What?"

"It's a shiny, you know."

"A what, un?" Deidara asked.

"A shiny. It has a genetic defect that gives it black hair. There's only one in a million. That's why its hair is different."

"…Oh…" Deidara muttered, continuing out the door.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter coming soon. I already have it planned out.


	9. Sake bombs and Pikachus

A/N: The first half or so of this chapter is pure crack. It has nothing to do with the plot, I just felt like writing it. The other half is relevant.

For reference later in the chapter: Sake bombs are shot glasses filled with sake that are dropped into glasses of beer.

* * *

"Well, un… Here's to catching a dangerous Pokémon with no fatalities!" Deidara cheered, holding up his cup of sake.

"Hardly any injuries at all, really." Itachi corrected, lightly hitting his cup against Deidara's.

"What do you think we should get Konan for dinner?"

"Just order it before we leave. We don't have to decide right now."

"Alright, then… What are you going to have for dinner?"

"Seems a bit late for dinner, actually."

"It's only nine o'clock. Not late, un."

"Why are we eating in a bar? There are restaurants all over the place."

"Oh, come on. Loosen up, have some fun for once in your miserable life, un."

"My life is not miserable."

"I beg to differ."

* * *

Nagato sat patiently as Nurse Joy cut the cast off his arm.

"Your Pokémon heals very quickly." She remarked, breaking it in half. The Sakura that had been waiting beside her began healing what was left to be healed.

"That's good. So we can leave in the morning?" Konan asked.

"Yes, that should do just fine." Nurse joy said. "Sakura, when you're done, there's a Pikachu in the other room that you could probably help."

"Wow, a Pikachu?" Konan asked.

"Yes. A boy from pallet town, actually. His Pikachu didn't do so well against the gym leader here."

"Right… Electric types don't do well against rock and ground types."

"Yes, that's the problem. Its trainer tried to give it more electricity, so maybe it'll have a better chance tomorrow."

"It wasn't hurt too badly, right?"

"No, Brock wouldn't let that happen."

"That's good."

Everyone in the room jumped as the door flew open and slammed into the wall. Deidara walked in with a bottle of sake, laughing hysterically. Itachi followed, looking very spaced out.

"Are you… okay?" Konan asked.

"Never better, un! After about an hour, I finally got Itachi to drink a few sake bombs."

"…Where were you…?"

"A bar…" Itachi muttered, his words slurring together.

"…Wonderful…" Konan sighed. "Did you bring me something to eat?"

"We did, un."

"What is it?"

"Itachi, you have it, right?"

"…No…"

"Well, I guess we forgot it!" Deidara yelled, his smile growing even bigger.

"I knew Itachi was drunk, but I guess you are too, huh?"

"Not at all, un!" Deidara laughed, throwing himself on the couch and taking a sip of sake. "I only had… I don't remember how many drinks. But I'm fine!"

"Right… I guess we'll be staying a little longer for their hangovers."

"Um… O-okay then… Please make sure they don't disturb the other guests." Nurse Joy said, quickly leaving the room.

"I'll try."

"I… I don't feel so great." Itachi muttered, leaning against the wall.

"Can't hold your alcohol, un?" Deidara giggled.

Itachi immediately ran off to the bathroom, muttering something about a bad idea.

"Well, it's late and I haven't had dinner. I'm going to get some. YOU!" Konan yelled, grabbing Deidara's collar.

"Take it easy, it's only one meal. Sit down, relax." Deidara said, shoving her down on the couch next to him.

"No. I'm getting food. Do not do anything stupid. Stay still. Stay in this seat. Do not move."

"Yeah, yeah, un. I got it."

Konan kept her gaze on him until she was out the door, immediately breaking into a sprint to the nearest restaurant.

"LOOSEN UP, UN!" Deidara yelled after her, spreading out on the couch.

* * *

When Konan came running back into the Pokémon center, Nurse Joy blocked the way to her room.

"You can't bring food into the rooms… You can eat in the lobby, though. Sorry, it's policy." She said.

"O-oh… Okay. Can you hold this? I need to make sure nobody died." Konan asked, handing Nurse Joy her bag of food.

When Konan walked into the room, Deidara was sitting on Nagato's bed, looking cheery. Nagato was slumped over a bag, his eyes the size of quarters.

"You… didn't give him any of that… right?" Konan asked.

"He asked for it, un." Deidara said, ruffling his hair.

"You… gave him sake?"

"He liked it."

"Yeah, looks like it." Konan said sarcastically, looking at the barf-filled bag.

"I'm serious, un. Look!"

Deidara held the sake bottle up to Nagato again. Nagato pushed it away, and went back to his barf bag.

"Well, he didn't like the taste. He threw up after, un."

"Remind me not to leave you alone again."

"For the whole night, un?" Deidara asked, clearly trying not to laugh.

"I'm afraid someone will die if I leave you alone for the whole night."

"Well, I can't say no to you… Not with that shirt on, un." Deidara whispered, pushing her against the wall.

"What do you think you're doing?" Konan growled, pushing him away.

Deidara smiled, his hand slowly sliding up her shirt. The next thing Deidara knew, he was doubled over on the floor with a splitting pain between this legs.

"You try that again, I'll rip them off!" Konan yelled, standing over him.

"Playing hard to get, un?"

After swiftly kicking Deidara in the face, Konan pulled Nagato out of bed and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

"I'll be waiting for ya, un!"

* * *

"What the hell was he thinking?" Konan yelled. Nagato stared up at her, unsure of what to do.

"Miss… Here's your dinner." Nurse Joy muttered, handing her the bag. Konan quietly thanked her and sat down on the couch in the lobby. After violently shoving a forkful of food in her mouth, she set it down on a table to continue her rant.

"He better not remember that in the morn-"

"Wow! Is that a shiny Pokémon?"

Konan looked over to see an overly excited ten year old standing next to her.

"Um… Yes… Yes it is."

"Where'd you get it?"

"In Mt. Moon…"

"I'm Ash! Ash Ketchum! And I'm going to be a Pokémon master!"

"I-I'm Konan… And… Good luck."

"Thanks… What other Pokémon do you have?"

"I have a Squirtle and a Metapod."

"Wow… Did you beat Brock yet?"

"Yeah…"

"You must be a really good trainer."

"Thank you."

"Will you battle me?"

"R-right now?" Konan asked, slightly taken aback by the question.

"Oh… I guess it's a little late now… And my Pokémon are resting up for a gym battle later… Will you battle me later?"

"We're leaving in the morning…"

"Where are you going?"

"First we're going to get a Pokémon… and then we're going to Cerulean city."

"Me too! I'll probably see you there… Will you battle me next time we see each other?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Alright! Thanks!"

"N-no problem."

* * *

A/N: Crack chapter is crack.

I feel like this was getting slightly close to the M rating… Oh well!


	10. Sasuke and Sakura

A/N: Okay, crack chapter is over, back to the plot… Speaking of the plot, I promise it will thicken soon!

* * *

When Deidara woke up the next morning, he found himself face-down on the floor with a terrible headache.

"Un… What happened?" He muttered, pushing himself up. It took a few moments to realize where he was. Even then, he was a bit confused. Where was Nagato? This _was_ his room. Did everyone already leave? Deidara walked out into the lobby to find out.

"You should probably go get Itachi out of the bathroom." Konan said, noticing he was up.

"Why is he in the bathroom, un?"

"Can't hold his alcohol."

"…Oh…"

Deidara walked into the bathroom to find Itachi washing his face in the sink. When he was done, he glared at Deidara and began to walk back out to the lobby.

"Hangover?" Deidara asked.

Deidara got a punch to the stomach as a reply.

"That's for the sake bombs." Itachi growled, continuing by him.

"Well, at least it was fun, un." Deidara said. Itachi spun around and kicked Deidara in the face, which sent him into the wall.

"That's for bringing me to a bar. Itachi pinned him to the wall.

"Don't even try your sharingan, un." Deidara said with a smile.

Itachi changed into his Pokémon form to do just that.

"This is for the worst night of my life." Itachi said, the sharingan spinning wildly.

"I just told you not to try that, un." Deidara laughed. "Did you really think I'd fall for that genjutsu again?"

Deidara kicked Itachi off of him before changing form in order to create some bombs. Itachi grabbed his arm and threw him back out into the lobby before Deidara could actually get any clay. When Deidara stood up to get revenge on Itachi, something attacked him. Before he knew it, Deidara was being held with a blade to his neck.

"Sir, either you calm down, or I evict you!" Nurse Joy yelled, standing in front of him.

"Alright, alright, un. We're leaving anyway." Deidara said, holding his hands up.

"Drop him." Nurse Joy instructed.

Deidara moved away from his attacker and turned to see none other than Sasuke Uchiha. Deidara stiffened, feeling his heart beat faster.

"Wow, that's a Sasuke-kun isn't it?" Konan asked, rising from the couch.

"Yes, it is." Nurse Joy said.

"How did you get it? I thought they were almost extinct!"

"Somebody brought this one here when it was just a little Sasuke. It's been here ever since."

"There's supposedly only a few left in the wild." Konan muttered. "Especially since they're the adult forms. The child forms are more plentiful, right?"

"Yes, there's only a few. Most of them belong to trainers, or stay in Pokémon centers."

Konan pulled out her pokédex to hear more information.

Name: Sasuke-kun

Species: Loner

Type: Electric/Fire

Evolutionary chain: Evolved form of Sasuke. Does not evolve.

Sasuke-kun are very powerful and can easily dispose of most opponents. They usually avoid contact with other Pokémon, preferring to be on their own. They have been known to turn on their trainers in search of their own personal gain.

00000000000000000000000000

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 3

Defense: 3

Special attack: 5

Special defense: 4

Speed: 4

0000000000000000

Deidara turned back to the bathroom when the door opened. Itachi walked out, a Sakura-chan behind him.

"That's the Sakura I remember, un." Deidara said. "I guess that's the evolved form, right?"

The Sasuke-kun tensed when he saw Itachi, a low growl escaping his throat. The Sasuke-kun jumped at Itachi, immediately throwing him into the wall.

"What's going on?" Konan asked.

"I-I don't know!" Nurse Joy said. "He's usually very calm!"

Itachi began ducking under Sasuke-kun's attacks, unsure of how he should respond. Deidara sighed and began to walk away from the fight. However, a few small Pokémon hiding behind Nurse Joy's legs distracted him. They only came up to her thigh, and seemed terrified by the current events.

"What are those?" Deidara asked, ignoring the fight.

"W-what?" Konan asked, looking where he was pointing. "Those are just a few Sakura and a Sasuke."

"They're so tiny."

"They're probably babies." Konan said, looking back at the fight.

"Sasuke-kun, that's enough! Come back!" Nurse Joy yelled. After being ignored, an ear-splitting whistle passed through her lips. Sasuke-kun barely glanced at her before continuing his assault.

"And you thought _we_ were disruptive, un." Deidara sighed, leaning against the wall. Really, he was waiting to see who would win. Maybe they'd tire each other out so much that he could kill two Uchihas in one blow. That certainly would be a treat.

"Sakura-chan, stop him." Nurse joy instructed. Sakura-chan nodded and ran up to the fight, putting herself between Sasuke-kun and Itachi. Sasuke-kun glared at Sakura-chan, waiting for her to move out of the way. She glared back, determined to stay where she was. Itachi began making his way to the door so he could leave. Sasuke-kun began to pursue him, but Sakura-chan managed to grab his arm and hold him back. After a few seconds, Sasuke-kun turned back to Nurse Joy to wait for instructions.

"What the hell just happened?" Konan asked.

"I don't know." Itachi shrugged, walking out the door. Deidara followed him out.

"Sasuke-kun, return to your post and calm down." Nurse Joy said, trying to sound assertive. Sasuke-kun sighed and obeyed. The small Sasuke that had been hiding behind Nurse Joy ran up to him and yanked on his shirt. Sasuke-kun looked down and managed to smile at the little Pokémon.

"Where did you get the baby Sasuke?" Konan asked.

"Oh, that one just hatched a few weeks ago."

"Where did you get the egg?"

"All of the Pokémon centers are making an effort to bring the population back up, so we breed them." Nurse Joy said.

"I heard that Sasuke-kun are difficult to breed."

"Very. They aren't very interested in doing so."

"How'd you do it?"

"Well, I'm not quite sure when it happened. Sakura-chan just happened to be carrying a few eggs around one day." Nurse Joy admitted.

"Wow. I'm guessing that's where the little Sakura came from, too?"

"Yes, actually."

"That's good. Maybe someday Sasuke will actually be a common Pokémon again."

"Maybe."

* * *

"Are you joking, un? It took us three days to get here! That means there's six days of traveling before we even get _close _to the next town!"

"I'm sorry, but that's the only place I've actually seen a Yahiko. We have to go back there."

"Six days, Konan."

"Get over it."

"Can we just fly?"

"No. I already told you, we're not allowed to."

"Um… Excuse me for overhearing, but you need to fly back down to Viridian city?"

"And you are?" Deidara asked, looking over at the eavesdropper.

"My name is Sai, and I'm actually headed down there."

"I doubt one more person is going to make the trip any faster." Itachi muttered.

Sai ignored the comment and pulled out a scroll and some ink. After a gigantic bird peeled itself off the page, Konan began to wonder what he was planning.

"You're not trying to fly there, are you?" She asked.

"Yes, I am."

"You're not allowed to-"

"I have special permission." Sai said, holding up his anbu mask.

"Oh, you're part of the anbu!" Konan said.

"Yes, which is why I can get you there much faster."

"Great, un!" Deidara said, jumping up on the bird.

"Thank you." Itachi muttered.

* * *

A/N: Totally updating this too fast. But that's okay. I like fast updates.


	11. Butch and Cassidy

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I've found a new fandom, and it's been distracting me. Anyway, enjoy.

* * *

Deidara was rather uncomfortable on Sai's bird. It felt different than the clay transportation he was used to. It seemed too weak to really carry humans. But, it managed to stay in the air. Deidara was so fixated on the bird that he didn't notice the awkward staring between Sai and Itachi.

"What are your names?" Sai asked.

"I'm Konan, that's Deidara, and you're looking at Itachi." Konan quickly replied.

"Have I met you before?" Sai asked, still looking at Itachi.

"I don't believe so." Itachi muttered.

"I know I've seen you somewhere."

"I'm sure you're mistaken…" Itachi said, his voice barely a whisper.

"So, why are you going down to Viridian city, anyway?" Konan asked, attempting to dispel the awkwardness.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you."

"Top secret, un?"

"Yes."

"Sounds interesting." Itachi said.

"Very dangerous, actually."

"By the way, how long until we get there, un?" Deidara asked.

"We should be there soon. A few minutes. Why do you need to go down there?"

"Trying to catch a Pokémon." Konan said.

"What kind?"

"A Yahiko."

"Ah. Do you have a way to catch it?"

"I have a Nagato."

"You should be fine, then. And look, there's the nest down below."

Konan looked over the side of the bird to see the huge tree where she had spotted the Yahiko earlier.

"Hey… Konan, un?" Deidara asked, looking down at the tree.

"Hm?"

"Where to the eggs come from?"

"…What do you mean…?"

"Where do Yahiko eggs come from?"

"Y-you're joking… right?"

"They're all guys, aren't they?"

"Oh, I thought you didn't know where eggs come from." Konan laughed, relieved that she wouldn't be giving a birds and bees talk.

"N-no, I know where eggs come from. But aren't they all guys down there? How do they…?"

"They're not all guys."

"They look like guys."

"The Pein are guys, the Fein are girls."

"Fein, un?"

Look closely. They Fein are the ones with their hair up."

"Like th-"

Before Deidara could finish, a Pein jumped up on the bird's head. Sai turned to fight it off, but before he could, the bird began falling to the ground.

"What are you doing, un? We're going to crash!" Deidara yelled. "Pull up!"

"It must be using Gravity… It pulls things down from the sky. I can't pull up, it's impossible." Sai said, sounding a little too calm.

"What?"

"It's a Pokémon move!" Konan yelled.

"Jump off, if you're so concerned." Sai said.

Deidara, Konan and Itachi followed the advice, jumping down to safety. They watched as the Pein and Sai crashed into the ground, throwing up a large cloud of dirt.

"That must've hurt, un."

To his surprise, Pein and Sai jumped out of the dust, engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

"I think we should go help him." Konan said.

"Hey, is that a Fein?" Deidara asked, pointing up to the tree.

"Uh… Oh, yeah it is. Anyway, I think we should help him.

"Nah, Leader-sama doesn't need help, un."

"What?"

Before Deidara could answer Konan's rather vague question, he was thrown on the ground. When he looked back up, he could see another Pein standing over him. He looked over to see that Itachi and Konan were in the same position with two more Pein.

"These things are so damn violent, un."

"_Pein are usually very territorial and will kill intruders. Many travelers have been hurt by accidentally wandering into nests." _Deidara's Pokédex said. Pein looked down at the small machine on Deidara's belt, slightly confused as to why it was talking.

"Yes, _now_ you tell us, un."

"I think now would be a good time to get Nagato." Itachi whispered.

Konan nodded and slowly reached for Nagato's Pokéball. The Pein standing over her slipped a long black rod out of its sleeve, preparing to defend itself. It watched carefully as Nagato was released onto the field, trying to guess how strong the opponent would be. It was relieved to see that the Nagato hardly came up to his thigh, and seemed very intimidated by the current situation.

"Don't just stand there, do something, un!" Deidara said.

Nagato ignored Deidara, paralyzed by fear. The Pein was looking at him with a cold stare, a look you shoot your enemy. Deidara opened his mouth to yell again, but was interrupted by a Yahiko who just so happened to think that now would be a great time to steal everyone's stuff. Deidara glanced at the Yahiko only to discover that it was the same Yahiko that his charmander had burned last time they had come through here. He pulled the pokédex off Deidara's belt first, opening it for examination. Doing so caused the pokédex to activate.

Name: Yahiko

Species: Thief

Type: Normal

Evolutionary chain: Evolves into Yahiko-san, then to Pein.

Yahiko are very sneaky, and have even been able to steal things from police officers. They are very protective of their trainers and fellow Pokémon, and will always try to pass on their never-say-never attitude to others.

00000000000000000000000000

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 3

Defense: 3

Special attack: 2

Special defense: 2

Speed: 4

0000000000000000

"Get your hands off my pokédex, un!" Deidara yelled, changing into his Pokémon form. The Pein who had been standing over him immediately went to retaliate, pulling two rods from its sleeves. Deidara looked up, suddenly aware of the danger. However, before the Pein could strike Deidara, Nagato pulled one of the rods from its hand. The three other Pein glared at Nagato, deciding to attack him instead.

"Nagato, return!" Konan said, trying to save him from the impeding danger. One of the Pein kicked the Pokéball from her hand before breaking it in half. Konan froze, unsure of what to do at this point. All she could do was watch as the four Pein surrounded Nagato, all prepared to attack. Nagato spun around, trying to find a break in the circle, but to no avail.

"Nagato, use Fake Tears!" Itachi yelled.

Nagato found this quite easy, seeing as he was already on the verge of a panic attack. He dropped to his knees and began a pathetic show of tears, attempting to make the Pein feel some kind of pity for him. That really didn't do much, and the Pein actually seemed more inclined to hit him. However, the Yahiko playing with Deidara's pokédex was quickly annoyed by the crying. He dropped Deidara's pokédex and pushed the Pein aside so he could get up to Nagato. Konan pushed herself up to help her poor Pokémon, but was stopped by Itachi.

"Leave him."

"What? I am not going to let him get hurt by-"

"Just wait." Itachi insisted.

Konan reluctantly stayed where she was, keeping a close eye on Nagato. The Yahiko who had interrupted the Pein's attack marched up to Nagato, pulling him up by the collar of his shirt. Nagato stood up and stared at Yahiko, who began yelling at him.

"What's it saying, un?" Deidara whispered.

"I don't know." Konan replied.

"Well why the hell did he interrupt the attack, un?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"I just thought you'd know."

"Perhaps you could get that Yahiko to stop that Pein over there from killing the anbu member who took us here?" Itachi asked.

Konan looked over her shoulder to see Sai still fighting with the Pein who had crashed his bird. Sai seemed to be getting tired at this point, the Pein showing no mercy.

"The four of us could take that thing, un." Deidara said.

"Maybe. If we're lucky." Konan muttered. "Probably not."

"Well we're going to have to get out of here sooner or la-"

_"Prepare for trouble!"_

_"Make it double!"_

_"To protect the world from devastation!"_

"Not again…" Itachi sighed, looking up at the Meowth balloon.

"Could you save it, un?" Deidara yelled. "Kind of busy right now!"

"How _dare_ you interrupt us?" Jessie yelled.

"What do you _want_?" Konan screamed.

"We're going to be taking all the Pokémon here!"

"If you were going for a surprise attack, it might've been wise not to announce your presence." Itachi said.

"It doesn't matter, our plan is foolproof!" James retorted.

"Yeah, I bet. Just like last time, un."

"Stop talking! Koffing, use smokescreen!"

Deidara covered his face as the field was covered in a thick black cloud. He stood up, trying to find a break in the smoke. When he felt someone grab him, he resisted the urge to fight back, and let the person drag him from the toxic gas. Deidara turned around to find Sai.

"This wasn't what I was sent here for, but I suppose I'll have to take care of this, too." Sai said. Deidara looked up at the Meowth balloon, which now had a large net full of Pein, Yahiko, Fein, and Yahiko-san.

"W-wha…? How did they manage to do that, un?"

"I'm not sure."

Konan came out of the smoke coughing, with Nagato on her back. Itachi followed with the Yahiko who had been yelling at Nagato.

"Well, I think this is an emergency." Konan said, switching into her Pokémon form.

Deidara -already in Pokémon form- quickly spit out a couple of birds in order to get up to the Meowth balloon. Sai drew another one for himself, and took off while everyone else was boarding Deidara's birds.

"Don't even try! This net is unbreakable!" Jessie laughed.

"I beg to differ." Itachi said.

Deidara sent his birds up at full speed, flying straight up to the basket where Team Rocket was standing.

"Koffing, use sludge!"

Itachi flinched as a large amount of sticky goo splattered across his face, and into his eyes.

"You won't be able to fight us without those eyes of yours." Jessie said. "Now Ekans, stop that anbu member!"

"Tobi, use Dizzy Punch!" Deidara yelled, releasing Tobi from its Pokéball. Tobi glanced around, trying to figure out where he was. After becoming comfortable with the fact that he was in a hot air balloon, he proceeded to punch Koffing, who became confused on impact.

_"To infect the world with devastation!"_

_"To blight all peoples within every nation!"_

_"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"_

_"To extend our wrath to the stars above."_

_"Cassidy!"_

_"Butch!"_

_"Team Rocket, circling earth all day and night!"_

_"Surrender to us now or you'll surely lose the fight!"_

_"That's right!"_

"No, not Cassidy!" Jessie wailed. "Leave us alone, we're doing just fine without your help!"

Konan and Deidara looked up to see a large blimp floating overhead. It was a dark grey color, with a huge red 'R' painted on the side.

"Who said anything about help?" Cassidy asked. "We're taking your job."

"We're handling it ourselves!"

"We're just making sure you don't screw up." Butch said.

"Who's that?" Konan asked.

"More team rocket members, from the sound of it." Itachi muttered, still trying to wipe the sludge off his face.

"Is that Bill?" James asked.

"BUTCH, YOU IDIOT! BUTCH! B-U-T-C-H!" Butch screamed, enraged by James's mistake.

"Stop yelling, let's get to work." Cassidy said, pulling out a Pokéball.

* * *

A/N: I guess this chapter was rather un-eventful, but the next one will be.

Oh, and people who don't know who Butch and Cassidy are: They're team rocket members who are actually good at their jobs. Look them up for looks/info.


	12. Help arrives

A/N: So, Meowth has a funny accent. I'm going to try and _write_ that accent. Hopefully it comes out okay.

Anyway, I would just like to say: I am aware that the people that named Pokémon moves are kind of stupid. I know that Thunder is not the bright electric stuff that comes from storms, but you know. It's called thunder, thunder shock, thunder bolt, ETC. Not my fault.

* * *

"Don't even bother! This net is made of steel cables! The only thing that could break this net is a-" Jessie started.

"A Raticate?" Cassidy interrupted, throwing the Pokéball she was holding.

"How'd she know?" James asked.

"It doesn't matta! Just keep dat Raticate off da net!" Meowth yelled.

"Raticate, use Hyper Fang!" Cassidy said as the Raticate landed on the top of the net.

Before Raticate could do any damage to the net, it was sent flying back to the blimp.

"What happened, un?" Deidara asked.

"I guess one of the Pein used Psychic." Konan muttered.

"Time for plan B!" Butch said, running into the blimp.

"Plan B?" Konan asked.

Before anyone could really think, a large platform began to rise out of the top of the blimp.

"Use Thunder!" Cassidy yelled.

"Thunder? What kind of Pokémon is up there?" Itachi asked.

"I can't see. It's too far away." Konan said.

Nagato and Yahiko crept up to the bird's head, trying to get a better view of it.

"Please don't fall." Deidara muttered. "That's the last thing we need right now, un."

A few seconds later, Sai came flying downward on his bird, just missing Deidara.

"Watch where you're going, un!"

"Get down!" Sai yelled. "Get down now!"

Deidara sent his bird down with Sai's, and was led into a small underground cave. Deidara turned as an ear-splitting crack was heard. Black shafts of lightning flew across the field outside, leaving scars in the ground.

"What… What's doing that?" Konan asked.

"I've never seen a Pokémon like it before." Sai muttered.

"Konan would you _please_ get your squirtle to wash this sludge off my face? I don't like being blinded, especially in a situation like this." Itachi said impatiently.

Konan let her Squirtle out and nodded at Itachi. Squirtle sent a slightly-too-powerful watergun at Itachi's face. While it did get the sludge off, it also managed to knock him down.

"Now use Sacred Fire!" Cassidy yelled.

The group watched in awe as black flames spread across the field, burning everything in its path. Yahiko seemed mesmerized by the flames, shocked by what was happening. Nagato shook him a few times to snap him out of it. Yahiko rushed up to the mouth of the cave, stopping just before he reached the fire.

"Squirtle, put the fire out!" Konan said.

Try as he might, Squirtle couldn't put it out. The water seemed to have no effect, simply passing through them. Suddenly, the fire disappeared just as quickly as it had spread.

"Are you crazy? You probably just killed them!" Jessie screamed. "Do you know how long we spent setting up that trap?"

"We only need one Pein. Besides, there's more in other places." Cassidy said.

"We spent a whole week burying those steel cables for the net!" James yelled. "We got attacked more than I'd like to remember!"

"And they sent Me-owth to fight! It wasn't pretty!" Meowth chimed in.

"Get over yourselves. We have what we came for… So, goodbye." Butch said.

"Damn you, Bill!" James yelled.

"IT'S BUTCH!"

"Shut up and let's go." Cassidy said.

Yahiko stood at the entrance to the cave, unable to move. What he saw before him was a burned field, with Pein, Fein, Yahiko, and Yahiko-san spread across it like a battlefield. He looked up at the blimp, where one Pein was attempting to fight off a Cloyster, a Raticate, and a Tentecruel. However, this wasn't going so well for the Pein, since it was already injured from the Thunder and Sacred Fire.

"What kind of Pokémon… could do this?" Konan asked.

"Those moves weren't normal… Thunder shouldn't be black." Itachi said.

Yahiko continued to watch the Pein in the blimp, hoping it would somehow be able to win. Yahiko's hope was crushed after a few seconds when the Pein finally collapsed. Cassidy and Butch laughed before dragging him inside.

"Ya… Hiko…" Yahiko whispered.

"W-we should help the Pein up there." Deidara suggested.

"It's too late." Sai muttered, watching the blimp float away.

"We're just gonna let it go?" Konan yelled.

"Perhaps this is better. We can save it later. They won't hurt it."

"They just completely wiped out a whole nest! You think they won't hurt one more?"

"They need that one for something. They aren't going to kill it immediately."

* * *

"Now what?" Jessie asked.

"We gotta go afta Cassidy and Butch's blimp and get dat Pein back!" Meowth proposed.

"Maybe there's still one we can catch down there?" James asked.

"They're all _dead_!" Jessie yelled.

"No they're not. A lot of them are moving."

"We have to get the strongest one we can. Make sure it can survive the trip."

* * *

"Hey, about the Sacred Fire, un… Was that normal?"

"The Sacred Fire was fine." Sai said. "It's always a strange color."

"Black, un?"

"It can be. Does anyone have a piece of paper?" Sai asked.

"Here…" Konan muttered, turning a sheet of her cloak into paper.

Sai took the paper and released Rattata from one of the pokéballs on his belt. After scribbling a quick note on the paper, he put it in the Rattata's mouth, and sent it off.

"What Pokémon can even _learn_ sacred fire?" Konan yelled.

"I'm not positive, but one of the great bird Pokémon may be able to do that." Sai said.

"I doubt they had one." Itachi pointed out. "It's much too powerful."

"There's very few other Pokémon that can learn Sacred Fire."

"Like what?" Konan asked.

_"Fe… in…"_

Yahiko looked back down at the ground to see a Fein trying to push itself back up. The group ran up to it to see if there was anything they could do.

"Do any of you know healing moves?" Sai asked.

Nobody said anything, which Sai took as a 'no'.

"Alright, then… I guess we'll have to wait for the medics to get here… In the mean time, I must return to my mission."

"Y-you're just going to… leave us here? Leave _them _here? How could you just leave?" Konan demanded.

"My mission takes priority, and I have already sent for help. Now, please excuse me."

"Where exactly are you going?" Itachi asked.

"Well, I would tell you that it's top secret, but there would be no point in that. You can easily see where I'm going, no matter how I try and hide it." Sai replied, walking back down into the cave they had taken shelter in.

Konan glared at Sai until he was no longer visible. She returned Squirtle to its Pokéball and looked back down at the Fein who had finally managed to push itself up into a sitting position.

"Hey, should we be worried that the other Team Rocket balloon is still up there, un?" Deidara asked.

"If they try anything, we can easily take them out." Itachi said.

Yahiko and Fein stared at each other, both dazed by what had just happened. Other Pokémon began pushing themselves back up and tending to their wounds.

"How long do you think it'll take for help to get here, un?"

"Probably not long." Konan said. "We're not that far from-"

_BANG!_

Lightning flashed across the sky, clouds forming out of thin air. It was only a matter of seconds before rain began falling. Yahiko groaned as the rain hit his skin, visibly angry that a storm had come on. However, the other Pokémon seemed to welcome the rain, exposing their burns to the cool water.

"Leave it to Leader-sama to wreck a perfectly nice day." Deidara muttered.

"Stop complaining." Konan snapped, putting her cloak up as an umbrella. "And why the hell do you keep calling them 'leader-sama'?"

"Oh, uh… I-It's a habit, un."

"Where did that come from?"

Deidara remained silent, unsure of how to reply. Luckily, Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny came dashing through the bushes before Konan could question him further.

"We heard something had- Oh my god!" Nurse Joy yelled.

"W-what happened?" Officer Jenny asked.

"Team Rocket happened." Konan said.

Nurse Joy pulled a large amount of pokéballs out of her bag, all of them containing Sakura, Sakura-Chan, or Chansey.

"Go, heal as many as you can!" Nurse Joy instructed.

The Pokémon took off immediately, spreading across the field. Officer Jenny looked up at the Team Rocket balloon.

"They did this?" She yelled.

"Huh? Oh, not them, un." Deidara said. "It was a couple of others."

"Did you get their names?"

"Butch and Cassidy." Itachi said.

"Description, please."

While the group was busy being interrogated, Nagato and Yahiko were busy attempting to help the Fein next to them. They managed to get it on its feet, and walked it over to Nurse Joy.

"This one seems to be in decent shape." Nurse Joy muttered, looking over Fein. "It looks like this one got away with minor injuries. It's probably just a bit shaken."

Yahiko and Nagato smiled, relieved that the Fein was going to be okay. However, this didn't quite help the fact that there were still a lot of other injured Pokémon lying around.

Actually, things got worse. The Fein pulled itself out of Yahiko and Nagato's grasp, confident that it could stand on its own. After a few seconds of wobbling around, the Fein was suddenly plucked up off its feet by a giant mechanical claw. Nagato and Yahiko looked up to see that the claw was attached to the bottom of Team Rocket's balloon.

"H-hey! HEY! Put that Fein back right now!" Officer Jenny yelled.

"No way! We gotta nab a Pokémon or else the boss will kill us!" Meowth replied.

"Hey, isn't that a shiny Pokémon?" James asked, pointing down at Nagato.

"It is! Let's get that one, too!" Jessie said.

"Are you sure we can, Jessie? Won't that push our luck? I think we should leave now, before we get caught."

"Nonsense, James. Just get it!"

"A-alright…"

After the Fein had been thrown into the basket and properly restrained by Jessie's Ekans, the claw came back down and grabbed Nagato _and_ Yahiko.

"Would ya look at dat? We got two of 'em!" Meowth said.

Try as he might, Nagato couldn't quite wiggle out of the claw. He began to panic, tears filling his eyes. After a loud sob, Yahiko turned to him as best he could. Nagato cried harder as Yahiko grabbed the front of his shirt and glared at him. Yahiko growled before punching Nagato across the face. _That_ managed to shut him up. Yahiko nodded at him, and began to wiggle out of the claw's grasp.

"Hey! He's getting out! James, hurry up and get them up here!" Jessie growled.

"I'm trying, Jessie! Stop distracting me!"

Yahiko finally managed to squirm out of the claw, pulling himself up onto the arm that attached it to the balloon. He began to dash up the arm to save Fein, who was currently struggling against Ekans.

"James, we don't need that one. Just shake it off." Jessie said.

James pushed the joystick in every possible direction, sending the arm out of control. Yahiko clung to it, determined not to fall off. Eventually, James stopped moving the arm to see if he had successfully thrown Yahiko off. Yahiko jumped back up and continued running up the arm.

"Just let it come up here. It's so small; we can just wrestle it down when it gets here!" Meowth pointed out.

"Good point." James said, smiling at the thought. The Rocket trio stayed put, waiting for Yahiko to reach them. Their smiles faded as Yahiko faded into a bright light, still rushing at them.

"What attack is that?" Jessie asked.

"I… I don't think that's an attack." Meowth muttered.

Jessie screamed when she realized what was happening. The light disappeared, leaving a grown Yahiko-san rushing up at them. James ducked under Yahiko-san's punch, leaving Ekans to take the hit. After pushing Ekans off Fein, he picked her up. Team Rocket backed into a corner to avoid angering the Yahiko-san further. He growled at them and jumped back down to the ground. Fein rushed back to the Nurse Joy to avoid being captured again.

"D-did Yahiko just evolve?" Deidara asked.

"Yes! That was amazing!" Konan yelled.

"We still need to get Nagato." Itachi pointed out.

However, Yahiko-san was going to take care of that. He jumped back up to the Meowth balloon, and punched a hole through it. Nagato's eyes widened as the balloon began flying out of control, taking the arm with it. Thankfully, Yahiko came down to Nagato and yanked the claw open. Konan ran over to catch her falling Pokémon. The group watched the balloon take off into space, Team rocket screaming the whole way.

_"Team Rocket's blasting off again!"_

Yahiko-san landed next to Konan and Nagato, helping them up. Konan seemed a bit surprised that Yahiko-san was actually taller than her. He stood about as tall as most of the Pein, give or take a few inches.

"Hey… We're done treating the Pokémon in the field, so we're going to take them back to the Pokémon center… Would you mind helping us?" Nurse Joy asked.

"Oh, of course not." Konan said, putting Nagato back in his Pokéball. "Deidara, how about some birds?"

"Again, I'm way ahead of you, un." Deidara said, spitting out a group of clay birds.

_"Wait!"_

The group looked over to see Sai running out of the cave.

"Did you finish your mission?" Konan asked.

"Actually, I'd like some help. Deidara, you can make explosives, right?"

"H-how'd you know, un?"

"Your pokédex entry."

"Oh."

"Could you help me destroy this cave?"

"Why would you need to do that?"

"It's to prevent criminals from using it as a hideout."

"Why would they?"

"It was a hideout at one point. Now it's abandoned, but they could return at any time."

Deidara followed Sai back into the cave to discover that he was correct. The walls were lined with what looked like prison cells, and an occasional locked door.

"I just need you to blow the place up."

"That's what I do best, un!" Deidara laughed, clay spiders falling from his hands.

The two of them dashed out of the cave to detonate the bombs.

"KATSU!"

Deidara covered his face as a debris-filled gust came flying out of the mouth of the cave.

"Thank you for your help. Now, would you like a ride back to Pewter City?"

"I think we need to go back to the Viridian City Pokémon center first."

"Well, yes. But after that?"

"That'd be great, un!"

* * *

"Well… We couldn't save all of them…" Nurse Joy announced. "But a lot of them will be fine. We'll probably release them back into the wild in a few weeks."

"That's good, I guess…" Konan said.

"It's the best we could really hope for." Sai pointed out.

"So… Can we get going now, un?"

"Yeah. Bye, Yahiko-san." Konan said, waving to the Pokémon. "Thanks for the help."

However, the Yahiko-san had a different idea. He grabbed one of the empty pokéballs off her belt and pushed the button a few times. Konan watched happily as he was sucked into the Pokéball.

"Well, you got a Pokémon out of all that, un. That's an upside."

"Plus it's the Pokémon you were looking for, right?" Itachi asked.

"Yeah! Alright! Let's go get that second gym badge!" Konan yelled, rushing out the door.

"Slow down, Cerulean isn't going anywhere." Itachi sighed, following her out.

* * *

A/N: Wow, that was kind of a long chapter. I guess. So, I'll see you next time!


	13. Team 7

A/N: So, I'm not really sure what Yahiko acted like right before he died, because all we know is that he killed himself… I think he was probably a serious person, but still had the same never-say-die attitude he had as a kid. If you guys have any idea(s), let me know.

* * *

"H-hey… Sai, are you sure we can fly over Mt. Moon?" Konan asked. "I thought you weren't supposed to."

"Nonsense. I can get you over that mountain easily."

"The wind isn't going to be very calm up in these mountains." Itachi warned.

"I know that."

"…This isn't going to be fun, un…" Deidara mumbled, digging his nails into the bird.

Indeed, Sai had decided to take the group _over_ Mt. Moon. Now, being an ANBU, Sai was very well trained. However, nobody was exactly _excited_ to fly over Mt. Moon. It was already a windy day, and flying over mountains with a lot of wind isn't exactly pleasant.

"Hold on tight." Sai said.

The turbulence started almost immediately, throwing the bird higher up. Of course, it was sent spiraling downward a few seconds later. The ride just got more unpleasant from there, nearly throwing them off once in a while.

"How long is this ride?" Konan yelled.

"Only a minute or so more." Sai replied calmly.

Konan groaned in protest, wishing could just be over. The flight came to an abrupt stop when Sai landed no more than ten feet from Mt. Moon's exit, and dispelled of his bird.

"That wasn't too bad." Deidara said.

"Yes, I expected that to be worse." Sai agreed.

"So… back off to your mission?" Itachi asked.

"Yes. Maybe I'll see you later?"

"Maybe. Or maybe not." Itachi said.

"Well, goodbye. Good luck with your quests!"

Sai walked back off into Mt. Moon, leaving the group behind him.

"So… Cerulean is that way, right?" Konan asked, pointing toward a path.

"It's a bit of a walk." Itachi told her.

"It's a nice day, it'll be fine."

So, the group began walking to Cerulean City for their next gym battle.

"_Oh yeah! Well I'm gonna be Hokage!"_

"_I'm gonna be the greatest trainer ever! That means I have to beat you!"_

"_Like you could!"_

"What's going on?" Konan asked, walking up to two quarreling boys.

"Back off, lady!"

Deidara stared at one of the boys, certain that he knew him. He was rather short, with blonde hair and a bright orange outfit.

"Hey… Isn't that Naruto Uzumaki, un?" Deidara muttered.

"Do I know you?" Naruto asked, looking over at Deidara.

"Uh…"

"You know that boy?" Itachi asked.

"I've seen him around." Deidara said, trying to avoid the question.

"Well, I guess I'm getting famous! Great! Because everyone's gonna know my name when I become the Leaf Village gym leader!"

"You just said you wanted to be Hokage! Which is it?" The other boy yelled.

"Everyone knows that a Hokage and a Gym leader is the same thing."

"Oh. It is?"

"Yeah. Stupid."

"Wow, then you're from the leaf village!" Konan said.

"Yeah. But before I can be a gym leader, I have to get better at Pokémon."

"I'm from the rain village!"

"Really? I hear the rain village kind of sucks."

"…Well, yeah… The whole village got over-run by Pokémon after the Great War. So… I moved."

"Hey, you're that girl who has the shiny Pokémon!" The other boy yelled.

"H-hey! You're that pretty girl who battled me at Pewter City gym!"

Konan looked up to see Ash and Brock.

"O-oh… Yeah, I remember you guys."

"Too bad Misty went off into nowhere; I would introduce you two." Ash said. "Hey, you promised you'd battle me, too!"

"HEY! Me first!" Naruto yelled. "You challenged me, and I never back out of a challenge!"

"Three on three sound okay?" Ash asked.

"Perfect."

"Alright! I'll use… Butterfree!" Ash said, quickly sending his Butterfree out onto the field.

"That's part bug, isn't it?" Naruto asked. "Great… Go, Vulpix!"

"Where did you get a Vulpix?" Ash yelled.

"The Hokage gave it to me as my starter Pokémon. Now come on, let's battle! Vulpix, use Ember!"

"Dodge, Butterfree!"

"Who do you think will win, un?" Deidara asked.

"I don't know. I've never seen either of them battle, and I don't know what Pokémon they have." Konan said.

"I feel like Naruto has more knowledge of Pokémon." Itachi muttered. "That doesn't mean he'll win, though."

"Quick Attack, Vulpix!"

Butterfree was fast, but not quite fast enough to dodge a Quick Attack. Vulpix hit Butterfree dead center, slamming it into the ground. Butterfree was quick to get back into the air to avoid being hit again.

"Stun spore, Butterfree!"

"Ember attack!"

Vulpix managed to hit Butterfree with Ember just before the Stun Spore overcame its small body. It struggled to move, determined to keep on fighting. Butterfree flew in circles to soothe the burn of Ember.

"Now, Butterfree! Blow it away with Gust!"

Vulpix tried to stay on the ground, but was eventually thrown into a nearby tree by the powerful wind. It collapsed, unable to continue.

"Hah! I win!" Ash teased.

"I still have two more Pokémon! You have no idea what you're in for!" Naruto yelled, putting Vulpix back into its Pokéball.

"Stun spore was a smart move." Itachi said. "Sleep Powder would've been even better."

"Go, Sakura!"

"That Sakura has very long hair." Konan said. "Most trainers cut it when Sakura get to their battling age."

"Yeah, I just never got around to it." Naruto muttered.

"Hair down your back is hardly useful in battle." Itachi warned.

"You're one to talk, un!" Deidara said, pointing at Itachi's ponytail.

"As are you."

Deidara stopped talking, deciding not to press the issue.

"Stun spore, Butterfree!"

"Sakura, use Charm!"

"Charm?" Deidara asked.

"It makes the opponent's attacks weaker because they don't really want to attack." Konan said.

Butterfree stopped its attack because of Charm, and just hovered a few feet away.

"Sakura! Dizzy Punch!"

"Dodge it, Butterfree!"

Butterfree was unable to dodge Dizzy Punch, and the Sakura hit Butterfree right in the face. Butterfree became confused, its flight pattern becoming jerky and erratic. It smashed into trees, rocks, and even the ground until it fainted.

"Alright, Butterfree. Return! I guess I'll use Pidgeotto now!"

"Pidgeotto? Piece of cake!"

"_Pidgeooooootto!"_

"Alright, Pidgeotto! Use Wing Attack!"

"Dodge it, Sakura!"

Sakura couldn't avoid the Wing Attack, stumbling backward when it hit. Pidgeotto continued attacking, backing Sakura up into a tree.

"Sakura, use Doubleslap!"

The tables were turned on Pidgeotto when Sakura began to hit back. Pidgeotto flew further up into the air to avoid being slapped even more.

"Use Sand Attack!"

The field was covered in a cloud of dirt, making it much harder to see.

"Sakura… Use Doubleslap again!"

Sakura tried to look for Pidgeotto, but couldn't find it through the cloud. She turned in a circle, becoming nervous.

"Wing attack, Pidgeotto!"

Sakura was hit in the back of the head with something, but it was gone when she turned to defend herself. Something struck her in the back a few seconds later, and she spun around again. The hits became more frequent until they were almost constant. Sakura jumped out of the dust cloud and dove behind Naruto, refusing to continue the battle.

"Jeez, Sakura… You gave up a little easy there. That's okay though. Go, Sasuke!"

"He has a Sasuke?" Konan asked. "I haven't seen a whole lot of trainers with Sasuke."

"Well, my village is one of the last places you can find 'em. So, I got one before I left." Naruto said, releasing Sasuke from his Pokéball. Sakura perked up almost immediately, squeaking as Sasuke came out of the Pokéball.

"Someone's easily excited…" Deidara muttered.

"Or she has a crush." Konan added.

"Probably both." Itachi said.

"That's the first form of it, right? Then it evolves into Sasuke-kun?" Deidara asked.

"Yeah."

Deidara pulled out his Pokédex to see what it said.

Name: Sasuke

Species: Avenger

Type: Fire

Evolutionary chain: Evolves into Sasuke-kun

Sasuke are not recommended to new trainers because of their cold disposition. Even experienced trainers find it difficult to bond with this Pokémon. Sasuke are very aggressive and will always swear revenge on those who wrong them.

00000000000000000000000000

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 3

Defense: 3

Special attack: 3

Special defense: 2

Speed: 4

0000000000000000

"Sasuke, use Flamethrower!"

Pidgey looked like a deer in headlights when the fire came out of Sasuke's mouth. It was burned to a crisp almost instantly, and fell to the ground.

"That thing is powerful… Doesn't matter, though! Right, Pikachu?"

"_Pika!"_

Ash retrieved Pidgeotto just as Pikachu jumped onto the field.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

"Sasuke, use Attract!"

Sasuke groaned in protest and glared back at his trainer.

"Come on, Sasuke! Do it!"

"Um… Pikachu is a boy, Naruto. Attract only works on Pokémon of the opposite gender." Konan said.

"…I knew that… I was just testing you guys… Sasuke, use Thunderpunch!"

"It's not even an electric type!" Ash yelled. "How is it going to use Thunderpu-"

Ash was interrupted by a strange sound coming from Sasuke's arm. A light formed in the palm of his hand, sparks of electricity shooting out of it. Ash was confused by what was going on, and failed to give Pikachu a command. Sasuke ran at Pikachu and sent it flying with Thunderpunch.

"Now, Sasuke! Use Sky Uppercut!"

"Quick Attack, Pikachu!"

Pikachu struggled to gain control of its direction in the air, but couldn't quite do that in time. It was hit in the stomach with Sky Uppercut, which just sent it further into the air.

"Pikachu, Thundershock!"

"Double Kick, Sasuke!"

Pikachu smiled when he felt Sasuke's leg hit its small body. The electricity he had been storing up shot out of him, electrocuting Sasuke in the process. Sasuke faltered, but was quick to resume his attack. He continued kicking Pikachu until they reached the ground, finishing the attack by smashing Pikachu into the dirt. Sasuke landed and looked over at Naruto. However, Itachi caught his eye before Naruto could say anything. He walked past Pikachu and made a beeline for Itachi.

"What's going on?" Deidara asked.

"…Not again…" Itachi sighed.

Sasuke's step became quicker, now dashing at Itachi. A Thunderpunch began forming again, and seemed more powerful than last time. Itachi grabbed the Sasuke's arm before it hit him, and waited for the Thunderpunch to dispel.

"Nice job, Sasuke… Now we can't use that attack until tomorrow! I wanted you to have that for the Cerulean gym! Why are you going off and attacking strangers, anyway?" Naruto demanded.

"Why is it that _every_ _time_ we see one of these things, they try to kill you?" Konan asked.

"I honestly do not know."

"Sasuke, return…" Naruto muttered, returning Sasuke to his Pokéball.

"Haha! I win!" Ash yelled.

"What? You didn't win! Your Pikachu passed out first!"

"Pikachu didn't pass out; your Sasuke abandoned the match!"

"You're just mad because you didn't win!"

"…Should we get back on the road…?" Itachi asked.

"Yes, un."

* * *

"So this is Cerulean City? Nice place." Deidara said.

"_If anyone knows anything about this, contact the ANBU immediately!"_

"What's going on?" Konan asked.

"Let's go see." Itachi suggested.

The group walked over to a large crowd surrounding a police line.

"Hey, what happened here, un?" Deidara asked a random bystander.

"Huh? Oh, somebody robbed the Pokémart last night."

"What'd they take?" Konan asked.

"Apparently they took a high-power vacuum."

"Why the hell would someone take that, un?"

"Beats me."

"HEY! YOU!"

The group looked up to see Officer Jenny marching toward them.

"Hey, you're that lady from Viridian City!" Deidara said.

"Oh, that wasn't me. That was my sister-in-law."

"…Oh…"

"But you guys look pretty suspicious! You don't know anything about this, do you!"

Deidara flinched, feeling uncomfortable with the fact that an ANBU member was questioning a bunch of S-ranked criminals.

"Uh… N-nope."

"The store manager wants to check everyone out, though. Come with me."

"We just got here, we couldn't have robbed the place!" Deidara pointed out.

"It's not my rule, it's the store manager that wants it.

So, they followed Officer Jenny into the store to meet the manager.

"Sit here and wait." She instructed, walking back outside.

"I wonder who this guy is." Konan said.

Deidara and Itachi shrugged. Konan's question was answered when a man came out of the back room to question them.

"You three didn't rob my store, did you?"

"…Kakuzu…?" Deidara asked. "Kakuzu, is that you?"

"How do you know my name?"

"Kakuzu! It_ is_ you! How've you been?"

"I was fine until someone came and robbed my store."

"You own this place?" Konan asked.

"I own this store and all the other Pokémarts in the world."

"…You must be rich…" Konan said.

"Indeed. Now, I'll ask you again. Did you rob my store?"

* * *

A/N: As much as I hate Sakura, I wasn't trying to bash her in this chapter. I know it might've sounded kind of harsh to have her give up, but team 7 is based off of the very beginning of _Naruto _right now… and come on, Sakura was kind of a baby in the beginning.

Oh, and for Sasuke's attacks:

Chidori = Thunderpunch

Lions barrage = double kick in mid air.

Um… I think that's all. Until next time!


	14. Cerulean gym showdown!

A/N: So, I told you I'm watching the Pokémon episodes as I write this fic. The last episode I watched had Misty's sisters in it. Their voices made my ears bleed. Seriously, avoid that dubbed episode at _all costs._

Oh, and something I must say, since I know Konan seems OOC: at the moment, she's _not_ based off of what she's like in the manga NOW. She's based off of Konan during the Great War, and I'm not sure what she acted like. But, I don't think she was completely serious and quiet as she is now. She probably was still a bit like she was as a child, which was happy/friendly/etc. I think she probably got more serious/quiet after Yahiko died, and Nagato went insane.

* * *

"Alright, I can clearly tell that _you_ did not rob my store." Kakuzu said, shoving the group out the door.

"Told you, un."

"I'm off to the Pokémon daycare. Goodbye, and keep an eye out for my stolen vacuum."

"Pokémon daycare?" Konan asked.

"They train your Pokémon if you're too busy, or if you just need your Pokémon watched."

"Wow, where is it?"

"It's just south of here."

"Maybe we could go check it out after our gym battle." Konan suggested.

"Sure, why not, un."

* * *

"This is the gym?" Deidara asked.

"It looks more like an aquarium." Itachi said.

"Yeah. But, we should check it out anyway, un."

The three of them walked inside, and started wondering if this was _actually_ a gym or not. The inside looked like an aquarium, too.

_"No fair, Ash! You shouldn't have gotten that badge, I was going to win!"_

_"Stop being a baby, Misty. You were the one who was going to lose."_

Ash, Misty and Brock came down the hallway, arguing about who would've really won the battle that had just taken place.

"But I'm the gym leader… I should've gotten to decide if you deserved that badge or not…" Misty muttered.

"Hey! You're the gym leader? I challenge you, then!" Konan yelled.

"Um… Who are you?" Misty asked, looking up at her challenger.

"Oh, hey! Misty, that's Konan. Konan, this is Misty." Ash said.

"You know her?" Misty asked.

"I do, too." Brock announced. "She battled me in Pewter City."

"Oh. Did she win?"

"Yeah. She's a good trainer."

"And she has a shiny Pokémon!" Ash added.

"Really? What kind?" Misty asked.

"A Nagato." Konan told her.

"Oh, really? Well… I guess I'll battle you, but my Pokémon need to rest. How does tomorrow sound?"

"Alright. Here?"

"Yeah. First thing in the morning!"

* * *

The next morning:

"How do you think you'll do today, un?" Deidara asked.

"I think I'll do fine… If Ash can beat her, I think I can, too."

"I'll battle her after."

"That sounds good. Where are we headed to after that?"

"I think we have to get through Rock Tunnel…" Deidara muttered, looking down at a map of the area.

"I hear it's pitch black in there. We'll need a light."

"Charmander, un…"

"Do you think it's bright enough?"

"Should be."

"What if it's not?"

"I don't know, un. We'll do something else."

"This would be easier if Itachi was here… I wonder where he went."

"I wish he'd stop disappearing and coming back, un. It's annoying. Next time he shows up, screw him. We won't let him come with us."

"It's kind of hard to stop him from following us."

"Oh, I'll stop him, un. I'll stop him."

"H-how?"

"Explosions can leave a path impassable."

"Oh… I'm not sure that's a great idea."

"Sure it is, un."

Deidara put the map back in his bag when they arrived at the gym. After getting lost in the aquarium for a few minutes, they managed to find Misty in the battle arena. The arena had a large pool in the middle, with floating platforms for Pokémon who couldn't swim.

"It took you guys long enough." Misty said.

"Well, our friend disappeared without telling us. We're late because we were out looking for him."

"Oh. Well, let's get the battle started. You choose your Pokémon first." Misty instructed, taking her place on the far side of the pool. "It's a two-on-two battle!"

"Who are you going to pick?" Deidara asked.

"I don't know…"

"You don't know, un? You didn't plan this out?"

"Well, Squirtle would have an easier time in the water, but I wanted to pick a Pokémon with a different type."

"So… you're a grass type, right?"

"I know I'll go in for battle when my first Pokémon faints, but who should I pick as my first Pokémon?"

"She's not so tough! Pick your weakest Pokémon so it can get some experience!" Ash yelled.

"Ash! Be quiet!"

Deidara and Konan looked up at the stands to see Ash sitting in the front row.

"Trust me; she's an easy gym leader!"

"Ash, you didn't even win! Don't say that!" Misty yelled.

"This badge says I did." Ash teased, holding up his cascade badge.

"Well, if you want your weakest Pokémon out, I think that'd be Nagato, un."

Konan glared at Deidara, annoyed at his assumption.

"What? Yahiko-san isn't your weakest! Squirtle probably isn't, either! So that leaves Nagato! I'd tell you to send out Metapod, but I don't think it would do well…"

Konan released all of her Pokémon to decide. They looked at her, slightly confused as to why they had been called out.

"What kind of Pokémon is that?" Misty asked, pointing at Yahiko-san.

"Huh? Oh, that's a Yahiko-san."

Misty pulled out her pokédex to learn more about her possible opponent.

Name: Yahiko-san

Species: leader

Type: Normal

Evolutionary chain: Evolved form of Yahiko. Evolves into Pein.

Yahiko-san are loyal to a fault. They have even been known to sacrifice themselves for the wellbeing of their trainer or fellow Pokémon.

00000000000000000000000000

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 4

Defense: 3

Special attack: 4

Special defense: 4

Speed: 4

0000000000000000

"I'm telling you, choose your weakest Pokémon!" Ash yelled.

"Well… He does need some experience…" Konan muttered, looking at Nagato.

"Then go for it. If you lose, we can come back later and try again." Deidara pointed out.

"Alright! Go, Nagato!"

Nagato hesitated before jumping out to one of the floating platforms. He stumbled a bit as the platform adjusted to his weight. Konan's other Pokémon gathered behind her to watch the battle.

"That's your shiny Pokémon, right?" Misty asked.

"Yeah."

"Go, Staryu!" Misty yelled, sending her Pokémon into the water. "Use Tackle!"

Nagato sidestepped the flying star-shaped Pokémon, watching carefully when it came back for another try. After being sidestepped again, Staryu landed back in the water.

"Confusion!" Konan yelled.

Nagato struggled to start the attack, trying to control his psychic abilities.

"Water gun!"

Nagato was hit by the blast, knocking him into the pool. He surfaced, only to be pulled back under by Staryu.

"Staryu, use Swift!"

Nagato broke free of Staryu and turned just in time to be hit in the face by Swift. He started swimming up to the surface after the attack, but Staryu stopped him again.

"Tackle, Staryu!"

Nagato winced when Staryu smashed into his chest, sending him back to the bottom of the pool. He felt as though his chest was on fire at this point. He darted up toward the floating platform, only to be dragged back once more. He was getting dizzy now; the lack of oxygen was getting to him.

"Nagato, use Extrasensory!"

"Don't let him attack, Staryu!"

Panic always seemed to give Nagato strength, and this was no exception. His eyes glowed, energy building up inside of him. Staryu flew into his stomach, forcing out what little air he had. He tried to breathe, but choked on the water instead. The energy he had been preparing burst out of him, and the pool seemed to explode. Water rushed out, flooding the gym. Everyone stood their ground, refusing to be moved by the torrent.

Seconds later, the chaos stopped as quickly as it had started, the water settling down. Most of it fell back into the pool, while the rest left the gym soaked. Squirtle looked down at Nagato, who had passed out at the bottom of the pool. He dove in, pulling the unconscious Pokémon back to the surface. Yahiko-san picked Nagato up and put him down on the floor before shaking him awake. Nagato choked, water gushing from his mouth. Konan looked over at Misty, who was kneeling next to her Staryu. Staryu had fainted after Nagato's outburst.

"I-I think… Maybe we should stop and try tomorrow?" Misty asked, looking around the gym.

"That'd probably be a good idea." Deidara muttered, wringing out his hair.

* * *

"So, this place is a daycare?" Deidara asked, looking up at the large building.

"I think so. If this map is right…"

Deidara and Konan wandered into the building, and noticed an old man standing behind a counter.

"Hello there!" The man said.

"Um… Is this the Pokémon daycare?" Konan asked.

"Indeed it is!"

"Great!"

"We can take care of two of your Pokémon at a time, and you can pick them up whenever you like! Here, take a look at our brochure!"

"Hey… You can train our Pokémon here?" Konan asked, noticing something on the pamphlet.

"Why, yes we can! What kind of Pokémon did you have in mind?"

"I have a Nagato-"

"Who can't control his psychic abilities?" The man interrupted.

"How'd you know?"

"We get that here quite often. You'd be surprised."

"Oh… Well is there any way-"

"Yes, there is. May I see him?"

Konan pulled out Nagato's Pokéball and released him.

"Ah, this one's a shiny Nagato!" The man said.

"Yes."

"I never thought I'd see one in my lifetime… Well, how long is he going to stay with us?"

"How long would you recommend?"

"Hm… How about a few days?"

"You can train him in a few days?" Konan asked.

"Yes, we can. Is there any other Pokémon you'd like to leave with us?"

"I don't think so…"

"What about your Metapod, un?" Deidara asked. "You could leave it here for a while, too."

"Great idea!"

"Well, just hand over your Pokémon, and we'll be off."

* * *

"What the heck are we supposed to do for a few days?" Deidara asked. "What's 'a few days' anyway? Three? Four, un?"

"I think he said three days."

"What are we going to do for three days?"

"You could go get your gym badge… And I could train, I guess."

"I've never seen you battle, un." Deidara noticed. "It's too bad you didn't battle Misty when Nagato fainted. I bet you would've won, since you're a grass type, un."

"We could train together if you want."

"When?"

"How about now? We could have dinner after."

"So what do you have in mind, un?"

"Battling each other. I know you're strong in Pokémon form, since I've watched you battle. I want to see how well I do."

"Alright, un."

* * *

"Ready?" Deidara asked.

"When you are."

"…GO!"

Deidara spit out a bird almost immediately, and looked up to see that Konan was in the process of splitting into thousands of little sheets of paper. They rushed toward him, but Deidara flew up on his bird before they could hit. The paper followed, going even faster by following the bird's path. Deidara released smaller, faster birds from his hands, detonating them in the middle of the paper cloud. The paper scattered, surrounding the bird. Deidara dove down to avoid being caught in the middle.

"How the heck are you going to fight in that water gym if you're made of paper the whole time, un?" Deidara yelled.

Konan seemed to respond to that, regrouping just behind Deidara's bird. The mass of paper came together to become Konan once again. She grabbed the collar of Deidara's cloak, yanking him toward the back of his clay creation. Deidara turned to fight, but was caught off guard by Konan's next move.

She grabbed his chin, pulling him closer. Deidara froze when he felt Konan's lips crash against his. It seemed like an accident at first, but it only took a few seconds to realize it wasn't. Deidara lost control of his bird, letting it spiral down to the ground. Konan pulled away and jumped off, watching Deidara hit the ground. He sat there for a few seconds, unsure of what to do. He narrowed it down to barfing, or yelling.

Yelling seemed more practical.

"W-wha… WHAT THE HELL, UN?"

"What?"

"What kind of cheap trick was that?"

"Trick? It was a Pokémon move, genius."

"Liar! Since when is that a Pokémon move?"

Deidara flinched when his pokédex answered his question.

"_Sweet kiss! This move will leave opponents confused if it hits."_

"…Sweet kiss…?"

"Told you."

* * *

A/N:

R.I.P: My OTP.

Cause of death: Beaten to death by the mass amount of DeiKonan in the last scene.

Um… Anyway, who wants to see the Pokémon movies adapted into this fic? I mean, I'd have to figure out where on the Pokémon timeline they took place, but I think it'd work. You know, Pokémon: the first movie, Mewtwo returns, ETC.


	15. Pokemon birth control

A/N: Back from vacation, sorry for the delay! Enjoy!

* * *

Konan stared at her Cascade Badge, thinking about the battle that had just taken place.

"Ash was such a liar." Konan said. "Misty was a good gym leader, I shouldn't have used Nagato."

"Doesn't matter now, because we have our badges, un." Deidara pointed out, taking a sip of his drink.

"I probably should've sent out Yahiko-san in the first place… He did a really good job with that battle."

"Well, he is an evolved form."

"The final evolution will be even stronger."

"Pein?"

"Yeah."

"Well, we should probably go and pick Nagato and Metapod up from the Daycare place, un. It's been three days." Deidara said, finishing the last of his dango.

"Yeah, just let me finish my lunch…"

* * *

Konan and Deidara walked over to the Daycare center to pick up Nagato. When they arrived, they found Kakuzu standing at the counter, talking to the owner.

"You're sure this Caterpie didn't belong to anyone, right?" Kakuzu asked, holding up a dead Caterpie.

"No, sir. I believe it was just a wild caterpie that happened to wander into the yard." The man muttered, looking extremely uncomfortable.

"That's good. I didn't want to pay for it."

"I don't think you can replace a Pokémon with money, but-"

"The owner would probably sue me, so I'd lose money."

"Yes, that's true."

"…What happened to that Caterpie…?" Konan asked.

"My Pokémon decided to kill it." Kakuzu growled.

"What kind of Pokémon do _you _have?"

"I have a Hidan."

"You… own one? Those things are natural killers!"

"They're also natural idiots."

"Hidan?" Deidara asked. "Hidan is here, un?"

"It's over there…" Kakuzu muttered, pointing across the room.

Deidara and Konan looked over to see Hidan sitting at a table, looking incredibly bored.

"Hidan killed that caterpie?" Deidara asked.

"Yep."

"For a ritual, un?"

"Probably."

Konan pulled out her pokédex, and aimed it at the half-asleep Pokémon.

Name: Hidan

Species: Religious

Type: Ghost

Evolutionary chain: Does not evolve.

Hidan are very religious Pokémon, following a 'god'. They kill other Pokémon as sacrifices to this 'god'. Although Hidan are not ghosts, they are classified as such due to their ghost-type qualities.

00000000000000000000000000

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 4

Defense: 5

Special attack: 2

Special defense: 2

Speed: 3

0000000000000000

"Ghost-type qualities, un? Like what?"

"Physical attacks won't hurt Hidan unless you do it correctly." Kakuzu said. "If you don't, your Pokémon will end up getting hurt instead."

"Physical attacks… hurting your own Pokémon? How?" Konan asked.

"You'll have to battle me if you want a demonstration. And physical attacks aren't the only thing. Special attacks can hurt your Pokémon, too. " Kakuzu teased.

"I need to get my Pokémon back first."

"Oh, you're the girl with the Nagato, right?" The owner asked.

"Yes. And the Metapod. I've come to pick them up."

"Well, something funny happened! While I was raising your Pokémon, it had an egg!"

"Yeah, how much do we have to pay for- Wait… What, un?" Deidara asked, looking up at the man.

"Your Pokémon had an egg!" The man repeated.

"An… Egg? Metapod had an egg?" Konan asked.

"No, not Metapod."

"…N-Nagato had an egg…?"

"Yes."

"Who did he…?" Konan asked, refusing to finish her sentence.

"I don't know. But he was holding an egg when I found him today."

"Are you sure it's his?" Kakuzu asked.

"Positive. I've seen a lot of Nagato eggs; this is definitely one of them." The man said, holding up the egg. It was a light grey egg, with black rings from top to bottom. When you looked at it from the top, it looked a bit like the Rinnegan.

"But he's so young…" Deidara said. "This daycare is messed up if you're really going to let such a young Pokémon breed, un."

"I think this happened after he evolved."

"He evolved?" Konan asked.

"Oh, yes. I guess I failed to mention that."

"Still shouldn't be breeding, un." Deidara mumbled.

"Where is he?"

"I'll go get him." The man said, walking into the back room.

* * *

"I'm not surprised it evolved, actually." Kakuzu said. "That's usually what happens when they learn to control their psychic abilities."

"No more destroying gyms, then?" Deidara asked.

"Probably not. The evolved form doesn't usually lose control."

"Usually?"

"It can still happen. It's just very rare." Kakuzu told him. "There's only one time where it's guaranteed to lose control, and that's during evolution."

"Into the final form?"

"Yes. But don't worry about it too much. It can't evolve unless you use a Dawn Stone, anyway…"

"No surprises, then. That's good… Hey, Konan, un?"

"Hm?"

"What are we gonna do with this egg?"

"Keep it."

"Why? Can't we just leave it here or something?"

"No! Just keep it!"

"Fine…"

The daycare owner finally came back out into the lobby, with Nagato-san behind him. The evolved Pokémon was much taller than its pre-evolution, and was now wearing a long black cloak, much like Yahiko-san and Konan-chan.

"Wow… Hey, Yahiko-san, come on out and see this." Konan said, releasing Yahiko-san from his Pokéball. Yahiko-san stood up and looked at Nagato-san. After a few seconds he smiled, approving of the change. Konan pulled out her pokédex to see what was new.

Name: Nagato-san

Species: Idealist

Type: Psychic

Evolutionary chain: Evolved form of Nagato. Evolves into Nagato-sama.

Nagato-san are not as shy as their pre-evolution, and will engage in battle if provoked. However, they are still friendly and don't necessarily enjoy fighting. They have much better control over their psychic abilities.

00000000000000000000000000

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 2

Defense: 5

Special attack: 4

Special defense: 2

Speed: 3

0000000000000000

"Let's get going. If we want to get through rock tunnel today, we should leave now." Deidara said. Nagato looked over at Deidara, and perked up when he noticed the egg he was holding.

"Well, I guess it _is_ his egg after all." Kakuzu muttered, watching Nagato-san take it from Deidara.

"I still want to know who the hell the mother is, un." Deidara said.

"Most people never find out." The daycare man said. "Sorry to disappoint you."

"Well let's just hope this doesn't happen again. The last thing we need is _two_ eggs."

"If you really want to prevent it, you should probably take action instead of just talking about it." The man told him.

"Alright, alright. Let's go to the Pokémart."

"What are you hoping to find there?" Kakuzu asked.

"I don't know. Birth control of some sort."

* * *

"Can I help you, sir?"

"Yeah, do you have any... Um… I guess I'd call them Pokémon Condoms, un?"

"…W-what…?"

"Do you?"

"Sir, I don't think those exist."

Nagato-san and Yahiko san stood against the wall, watching Deidara's sad attempt to buy a non-existent product.

"I wonder how long it will take him to figure out that my stores don't carry things like that." Kakuzu muttered.

"Probably a while." Konan said.

"Sir, you're holding up the line. We do not carry birth control for Pokémon."

"None?"

"No."

"That's stupid, un."

"If you're really that concerned about it, you should get the Pokémon neutered."

Nagato-san flinched, sinking back into his cloak. Konan watched as his face seemed to get even paler than usual.

"I think that's a bit extreme…" Deidara muttered.

"Then get the hell out of my store and stop trying to buy something I don't have!" The clerk screamed.

"Alright, alright, sheesh."

* * *

"So, you wanted to battle, right?" Kakuzu asked, taking Hidan's Pokéball off his belt.

"Yes. I'm interested to see how Hidan takes physical attacks." Konan said.

"Pick your Pokémon wisely." Kakuzu warned, releasing Hidan from its Pokéball.

"This is probably a bad idea, un." Deidara said. "Hidan is going to be a tough fight."

"Go, Nagato-san!"

"Fine, ignore me, un."

"Hidan, use cut." Kakuzu said.

"Dodge it."

Nagato jumped away from Hidan's scythe, barely avoiding injury. Hidan followed, determined to land an attack.

"Use Extrasensory!" Konan yelled.

Nagato landed near Kakuzu, and prepared to attack. However, this left him a little less focused on dodging, and Hidan managed to cut his cheek.

"Lick." Kakuzu said.

Hidan grabbed Nagato, sweeping his tongue across the blood. He froze back when Nagato finally released his attack. He shook his head to clear the pain and waited for Kakuzu to say something.

"Destiny bond." Kakuzu muttered, a smile forming behind his mask.

"…What's going on…?" Konan asked, watching Hidan turn black and white.

"You're pretty much screwed at this point." Deidara said.

"If Hidan faints, so does Nagato." Kakuzu told her. "Hidan, use Curse."

Hidan smiled and held his scythe up before plunging it down into his stomach. Nagato doubled over, a sickening gurgle coming from his throat.

"Extrasensory!" Konan yelled.

Nagato pushed himself back up, glaring at Hidan. Hidan's grin grew even wider when Nagato's Rinnegan started to spin.

"Stupid move." Kakuzu said.

When the attack finally released, Hidan laughed and watched Nagato stumble back, holding his head.

"Whatever you do to Hidan is going to happen to Nagato." Kakuzu sighed. "May as well give up now."

"Take the advice." Deidara said. "You really don't have a chance."

* * *

A/N: Alright, CRACK PAIRING TIME! Who's that Egg's mommy? I couldn't think of an actual working pairing, so let's go crack.

So far people have suggested Tayuya or Tsunade.


	16. Bulbasaur and the hidden leaf village

A/N: Skipped a few episodes of Pokémon in this fic, since Deidara and Konan have no business being anywhere near those episodes. By the way, avoid minor characters. They have bad voice acting. Seriously.

* * *

"I thought we agreed to go through Rock Tunnel, un." Deidara muttered.

"This way is faster. Besides, I want to go and see this ship! It doesn't come around very often."

"It's a ship. There are plenty of others in the world, un. Do you _really_ need to go see this one?"

"It's a luxury cruise liner, come on!" Konan whined.

"Maybe we could just split up."

"There's a gym in Vermilion city, too. You could go do that while I go check out the ship."

"There are other things I could be doing, un! More important things!"

"Oh, really?" Konan asked. "Like what?"

'_Figuring out where the hell we are, and how to get out of here.'_ Deidara thought. However, he decided not to say anything to Konan, and avoid some kind of pointless argument that he would probably lose.

"See, you can't even think of anything." Konan said. "Just stop complaining and come to Vermilion city."

"Do you even know where we are? We've been walking around in circles for the last hour. We've been by this same tree three times!"

"I'm not lost if that's what you're asking."

"Then why are we walking in circles?"

"I'm… Looking for Pokémon."

"Really? What kind, un? I bet you're looking for a Pokémon that can take down Hidan, since you lost last time."

"Does it matter?"

"We're lost, aren't we?"

"Will you just shut up?"

_"HEY, YOU!"_

Deidara and Konan looked over to see who was yelling. It happened to be Ash Ketchum, who looked very excited to see them.

"Great, un…"

"Hey, Konan! You said you'd battle me!"

"Ash, don't you think we should at least find out where we are before you start battling?" Misty asked. "What if your Pokémon get hurt and have to go to a Pokémon center?"

"Then we'll go to a Pokémon center."

"We can't go to a Pokémon center if we're lost! We won't find it in time!"

"You guys are lost?" Konan asked.

"Uh… No." Ash said. "I just don't know where we're going."

"Don't listen to him, we're lost." Brock said. "I can't even find this place on my map…"

"Did you guys see and Oddish and a Bulbasaur run by here?" Ash asked. "We were trying to catch them, but they ran off."

"No, I didn't see anything. Sorry."

"That's okay! I bet there's tons of Bulbasaur around here, anyway! Let's keep looking!"

* * *

"Hey, do you still have that shiny Nagato?" Ash asked.

"Yeah. He evolved, too."

"Really? Can I see it?"

"Yeah, sure. Just let me get his pokéball… He had an egg, too."

"Really? Wow!"

"Deidara, where_ is_ that egg?"

"I put it in my bag, un."

"Idiot! I told you not to do that!"

"What's the big deal?"

"It could break!"

"It's not going to break, calm down."

Konan grabbed Deidara's bag and yanked the egg out, inspecting it for damage.

"Well it looks fine... You'd be in big trouble if this broke."

"Yeah, yeah…"

Konan glared at Deidara and let Nagato out of his Pokéball.

"You carry it… Deidara seems to be incapable of doing so." Konan muttered, handing Nagato the egg.

"Wow, it got so big!" Ash yelled. "It used to be so short!"

"That's what evolution does to a Pokémon, Ash." Brock told him.

"I know, I was just saying."

"Come on, Ash! I want to find that Oddish!" Misty said, walking away.

As soon as they stepped out of the forest, they came to a rickety bridge that stretched across a large canyon. At the bottom of the canyon was a small river.

"Are you sure it's safe to walk on that?" Konan asked.

"Don't be a baby, come on!" Ash said, marching across.

The rest of them slowly began to make their way onto the bridge. Unfortunately, it couldn't support that many people. The rope snapped, causing the bridge to fall sideways. Brock fell down into the river, quickly being swept out of sight. The rest of the group was more fortunate, and able to hold on.

"Ash, pull us up! It's the only chance we've got!" Misty yelled, since she was clinging to Ash's leg.

"I'm trying!"

"Nagato, give me the egg. I'll put it in my bag until we get out of here." Konan said.

"Oh, so it's perfectly fine in _your_ bag?" Deidara yelled.

"Are you really going to argue about that _now_?" Konan asked.

Nagato reached out to hand Konan the egg. Sadly, the egg was very smooth, and wasn't exactly easy to hold. It slipped out of Nagato's hand, falling down into the river. Nagato pushed off the bridge to go after it.

"No, get back here!" Konan yelled, taking out Nagato's Pokéball. "Return!"

Nagato was swept away by the river before Konan could get him, which caused Konan to panic.

"I-I'm going after him." Konan said.

"What? No, un! I'm sure he'll be fine."

Konan let go of the bridge, ignoring Deidara. She changed into Pokémon form and split into paper before she hit the water, immediately flying downstream.

"Ash, that current looks really strong! Pull us up!"

"Misty, I'm trying! Stop yelling at me!"

Deidara decided that a bird would probably be useful at this point. He changed into his Pokémon form, and quickly made a clay owl. He dropped down to it, and took off along the river.

"Hey! Come back! Help us!" Misty yelled.

"Misty, he's gone. It's no use."

* * *

"Okay, next time we drop an egg, we don't go after it. Agreed, un?"

"No."

"Konan, he jumped into a river."

"I think it's sweet."

"He could've died."

"But he didn't."

"You're impossible." Deidara sighed, looking back at Nagato, who was currently drying off with a towel. When he was reasonably dry, he handed the towel to a woman standing in front of him.

"I'm just glad you're all okay." She said. "That river is really dangerous."

"Well… What's your name again?"

"Melanie."

"Right… That bridge over there… It's really unstable." Deidara said. "Someone should fix that."

"It was a trap. This whole area is littered with traps."

"What are you trying to do, kill someone?" Deidara asked.

"No, I'm trying to protect the Pokémon around here. I set up this little cabin after the Pokémon Massacre a few years ago."

"Oh, right." Konan said. "Most of it was around here, wasn't it?"

"Yes. I tried to save as many Pokémon as I could… After that, I just never left. Now I just take care of other injured Pokémon."

"What happened, anyway? People keep talking about a 'Pokémon Massacre'. What was it, un?"

"Well... Nobody really knows what happened, but there was this terrible fire near Konoha-"

"Konoha? The leaf village?" Deidara asked.

"Yes. It's right through those trees, and a lot of strong Pokémon live over there. Anyway, There was this terrible fire... The flames were black, and even water pokemon couldn't put it out... Only a few Sasuke survived."

"So, uh… Konoha… Is it well protected?"

"Um… Why?"

"Just wondering."

"Well, it's well protected from Team Rocket and other bad people, but I don't know why you'd care."

"Is Konoha one of the villages with the badges?" Konan asked.

"Yes."

"Deidara, we should go! We can go get our next badge!"

"I thought we were going to Vermilion City?"

"We can just stop by Konoha, and head to Vermilion City in the morning."

"Fine."

"Maybe you should wait until your Nagato-san catches its breath…" The woman suggested. "You can rest in my cabin for a while, if you'd like."

* * *

The cabin that they were invited to was pretty small, and was only big enough for one person to live in. A lot of Pokémon were outside the cabin, playing, sleeping, and doing other things that Pokémon enjoy doing. When they got inside, they noticed that Naruto was sitting in the corner, hovering over his Sasuke.

"Hey, do you think… He'll wake up soon?" Naruto asked.

"I… I really can't be sure… You should take him to a Pokémon center, you know." Melanie said.

"What happened?" Konan asked.

"I was on my way to Konoha just to say hi to everyone back home… I got attacked by some crazy guy with an Arbok… We took care of Arbok pretty easily, but then we had to battle the guy in Pokémon form. He bit my Sasuke, and… Well, I don't know what happened."

"He's got this weird mark on his neck, now…" Melanie said. "I don't know what it is."

"Did you catch the guy's name?" Konan asked.

"No." Naruto said. "I just battled him."

"You're sure it wasn't the guy that stole that poor Nidoran?" Melanie asked.

"How should I know?"

"He's tall… Long black hair? Ponytail? Red eyes? He's from Konoha…"

"Itachi?" Konan asked. "That sounds like Itachi."

"No, I don't think that was him… This guy had weird purple-ish cat-eyes… and he had this big purple rope around his waist…" Naruto said.

"Itachi stole a Nidoran?" Deidara asked. "…Actually, I guess I'm not surprised…"

"You know him?" Melanie asked.

"Yeah."

"Do you see him often?"

"Well, he seems to pop up on us a lot… We'll probably see him soon."

"Could you do something for me?"

"Uh…"

"Could you take that Nidoran's sister, and reunite them?"

"S-sure." Konan muttered.

"Thank you so much!" Melanie yelled. "I'll go get Nidoran!"

"I thought it was Nidoran's sister?" Deidara asked.

"It's the same kind of Pokémon." Konan said.

"Right…"

* * *

"Nidoran...?" Melanie asked. "Nidoran, get up…"

Melanie was kneeling down in the grass, trying to wake up a small Nidoran that was fast asleep in the bushes. It finally woke up, hardly looking up at Melanie.

"I found some people that can help you find your brother…"

The Nidoran stood up after hearing this, eager to find its sibling. Melanie picked the Nidoran up, and went back to the cabin.

"Here she is… Promise me you'll take care of her."

"I swear we'll find her brother. Itachi can't be too hard to find." Konan said.

Nidoran looked up at its new trainer, wondering if she could actually locate her missing sibling.

"You're going to come with us, okay?" Konan asked, taking out a Pokéball. "We'll find your brother."

"Or not." Deidara said. "We don't know why Itachi wanted it."

"Will you stop being so negative?" Konan yelled. "You're going to scare it!"

"I'm just saying that we shouldn't have false hope."

Konan glared at Deidara and put Nidoran in its Pokéball.

* * *

"So, Konoha is this way?" Deidara asked, walking into the forest.

"Yes! Just keep walking that way; you're bound to see it!"

"Alright… Bye, un!"

"Well, that was nice. We got a Pokémon for our troubles."

"Only until we find Itachi."

"True… But it's still nice."

"Yep…"

The walk through the forest only took a few minutes. They walked out onto a wide open field when they emerged, with Konoha in clear view. Konan glanced around, spotting a herd of Sasuke nearby.

"Hey… Look at that!" She said. "That's probably one of the last herds left in the world!"

"Fascinating." Deidara said, clearly being sarcastic.

Konan was so busy looking at the Pokémon, that she didn't notice the large, deep trench in front of her. Deidara turned around when she fell in.

"Watch where you're going, un!" He yelled, looking down into the trench.

_"Be quiet! You'll scare them!"_

Deidara looked toward the front of the trench, and found a man. He was kneeling down, watching the Sasuke herd.

"O-Orochimaru?" Deidara asked.

Orochimaru turned to look at Deidara, but stopped when he noticed Konan.

"…Is that Konan…?" Orochimaru asked.

"How do you… know my name?"

"The angel." Orochimaru whispered.

"Orochimaru… You're Sasori's former partner." Deidara said.

"And who are you?"

"Deidara… Sasori's new partner."

"You took my place after I left? You're an Akatsuki member?"

"You didn't leave; you got kicked out! Wait… You know what I'm talking about, un?"

"So, there is someone else who remembers…" Orochimaru muttered.

* * *

A/N: DUN, DUN, DUNNNNNN!

Anyway, I put Konoha around here for one reason, and one reason only. The episode this chapter is based on was called 'Bulbasaur and the hidden village'. How much better can it get?

Oh, and I don't know if I'm right… But does Orochimaru even know who Deidara is? He was gone before Deidara got there, so I assume not. Or, if he does know, he probably doesn't know much.


	17. The Curse Stone

A/N: Well, this particular chapter isn't based on an episode. Mostly because there weren't Naruto villages in Pokémon. So, here we go:

* * *

"Do you have any idea how we got here, un?"

"No, but that's not going to stop me from doing my work."

"You two know each other?" Konan asked, climbing out of the trench.

"No." Deidara said. "I've heard enough about him, though."

"From your partner, Sasori?" Orochimaru guessed.

"The rest of Akatsuki remembers you, too. Not favorably."

"I suppose Leader-sama is still angry."

"I'd strike you down right now if I could."

"You're going to need me if you want to get out of here."

"Oh, really? I thought you didn't know how we got here."

"That doesn't mean I don't know how to get out."

"Tell me."

"I can't yet. I don't know all the details."

"Then what are you doing out here, un? Go figure it out!"

"I'm going to need a new body at some point."

"What happened to Sasuke?"

"There are plenty of Sasuke here. He hasn't completely disappeared."

"There's a whole herd right there. You could just go capture one now if you need him so badly."

"Sasuke-kun grew powerful with my training. I don't know how well I'd do against so many of them. I'll be patient."

"Itachi probably isn't pleased with you using his little brother. Not that I care, un. Uchiha are an abomination."

"You must not like Itachi, then."

"Having him in Akatsuki with me is almost unbearable."

"Okay, what are you talking about?" Konan asked. "Deidara, you keep saying things about 'Akatsuki'. What is it?"

"Nothing, Konan." Orochimaru said.

"Seriously, how do you know my name?"

"So, you're still conducting experiments out here?" Deidara asked. "On what? Pokémon?"

"Mostly the Ninja-Pokémon. I'm more familiar with them. My experiments have gone well, so far… But I'm not done yet."

"HEY! KONAN!"

Konan groaned and looked over at Ash, who was currently running toward her.

"Ash! Wait up!" Misty yelled.

"Konan, you said you'd battle me. There's a Pokémon center in Konoha, right?"

"I should hope so."

"Then battle me! We'll go to the Pokémon center after!"

"HEY! GET BACK HERE WITH MY BULBASAUR!"

"It's not yours! I caught it fair and square!" Ash screamed, looking over his shoulder.

"OH YEAH? WHEN MY SASUKE GETS UP, I'LL KICK YOUR ASS!"

Orochimaru hissed, looking toward the voice. Naruto emerged from the trees, looking very angry.

"I… Must go." Orochimaru said.

"You can't leave!" Deidara yelled. "You know how to get out of here!"

"Hey, who's that?" Ash asked, looking down at Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru." Deidara said.

"He looks kinda pale…"

"That's what happens when you live underground for most of your life, un."

"He lives underground?"

"Deidara… When it is time, you will have to come to the Hidden Sound Village."

"Where is it?"

"I'll send for you when I'm ready."

"The hidden sound? Is that one of the villages with a badge?" Ash asked.

"Not a badge." Orochimaru said with a smile. "Something better."

"…What could possibly be better than a badge…?"

"How about I make your Pokémon evolve? It could be any Pokémon in the world."

"How? Some Pokémon don't even have evolved forms."

"Simple. You use a stone."

"What kinda stone?"

"A curse stone." Orochimaru said, pulling an evolution stone out of his pocket. It was a purple stone, with a dark crimson core. A red chain seemed to float around the stone, projecting a cold and evil feeling.

"That sounds a bit dangerous." Ash said.

"I assure you, child… It's nothing to fear."

"Hey… You're that crazy guy with the Arbok!" Naruto yelled, finally reaching the rest of the group. "What did you do to my Sasuke?"

"Nothing to be concerned about. He'll wake up soon."

"He better! If he's seriously hurt, I'll KILL YOU!"

Orochimaru rolled his eyes and climbed out of the trench.

"I'll be going now. Remember Deidara, I'll send for you when the time is right… Bring Konan."

"I don't think I'd have a choice." Deidara said.

Naruto opened his mouth to yell some more, but Orochimaru had disappeared into the trees before he could say anything.

"…That was weird…" Konan muttered.

"I always thought I'd see Orochimaru once in my life, and that would be when I killed him." Deidara said.

"Hey, are you guys going to Konoha?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah. We're going to try and get a badge from your village." Konan said.

"Really? I'm going to see if Grandma Tsunade can help my Sasuke out… And I don't think you'll be getting that badge! She's really tough!"

"The Hokage is your grandmother?" Konan asked.

"No, she's just old. But_ I'll_ be the Hokage some day!"

"You keep telling yourself that, un." Deidara sighed, continuing toward the village.

"Are you gonna battle me or not?" Ash asked.

"Fine, fine. I'll battle you. Let's just get a little closer to the village." Konan said.

* * *

"How about a one-on-one? A quick match?" Ash asked.

"That'd be good."

"Ash, what Pokémon are you going to use?" Brock asked.

"I'm going to use Bulbasaur!"

"…But you just caught Bulbasaur… It's probably tired from the battle it just had with _you_."

"That's okay. I have faith in Bulbasaur!"

"Ash, you're going to need more than _faith_." Misty sighed.

"Be quiet, Misty. I'm concentrating."

"The battle hasn't even started yet!"

"Go, Bulbasaur!"

"A grass type? Alright, then… Go, Metapod!"

"What are you going to do with _that_?" Ash yelled. "Metapod doesn't know any attacks! All it can do is harden!"

"That's the plan." Konan said.

"Bulbasaur, use vine whip!"

"Harden."

Bulbasaur's vine whip was useless against Metapod's hard shell, and simply bounced off. Bulbasaur looked back at Ash for help.

"Metapod _does_ have a tough shell… Okay, Bulbasaur! We'll just have to break that shell! Attack it with all you've got!"

Bulbasaur tackled the shell, biting down on the tough surface with all its strength. Konan stood and watched without the slightest hint of concern.

"You're not going to give Metapod a command?" Deidara asked.

"Don't need to. This way, Bulbasaur will just tire out."

"…Good point…"

It was almost sad watching Bulbasaur attack Metapod. It went on for about fifteen minutes until Bulbasaur finally just sat down and refused to continue his futile attempts.

"Bulbasaur… Try one more thing… Use a rock!"

Bulbasaur sighed and lifted Metapod up, looking around for a decent rock to use. Eventually, it found a large, sharp stone a few feet away. Metapod became worried as Bulbasaur's vines lifted it high into the air above the rock.

"Metapod, use harden!" Konan yelled, becoming concerned for the first time.

Bulbasaur slammed Metapod back down into the rock, and watched the rock shatter into pebbles. Konan went pale when she looked at Metapod, who had a huge gash across its body. A light began to shine from the crack, and a Pokémon began to take shape outside the gash. When the light faded, a Butterfree stood on top of the empty shell, looking dazed.

"…Did Metapod evolve…?" Deidara asked.

"I… Think so… Butterfree! Use Gust!"

Butterfree perked up, looking at Konan. After taking a few seconds to register what the hell was going on, Butterfree flew into the air, and turned to Bulbasaur. It began to attack, sending powerful blasts of wind at Bulbasaur.

"Vine whip, Bulbasaur!"

Bulbasaur's vines shot out, but Bulbasaur was blown into a tree before the vines could make contact. Bulbasaur collapsed on the ground, too tired to continue.

"I told you not to use Bulbasaur… You probably would've won if you used Pidgeotto or Pikachu." Misty said.

"Bulbasaur! Return! Shut up, Misty! It was an honest mistake!"

"Yep. Sure."

* * *

"So… you two are from ninja villages?" Ash asked.

"Yeah." Konan said.

"That means that you have Pokémon forms, right?"

"Yep."

"I'd give anything to see a battle between people from the ninja villages! Would you two battle for me!"

Deidara twitched, remembering the _last_ battle he'd had with Konan.

"No way, kid." Deidara said.

"Why not?" Konan asked. "I think you can stand to have a quick match. Don't tell me you're still mad about last time!"

Deidara sighed, trying to decide what he'd do in case Konan tried Sweet Kiss again. He smiled to himself after coming up with a foolproof plan.

"Alright, un. Let's battle." Deidara said, trying to hide his excitement.

"Good!" Konan said.

"This is gonna be awesome!" Ash yelled.

* * *

"Ready?" Deidara asked.

"Ready."

"Go!"

Konan began to split into paper, while Deidara quickly made his bird. The two of them seemed to take off at the same time, spiraling into the sky. Deidara hardly made any moves to attack, spending most of his energy on avoiding Konan's paper. Finally, she started to regroup. Deidara slowed his bird, waiting for her to catch up. She grabbed the back of his cloak, advancing the same way she had the last time. He turned around, but didn't fight when her lips crashed against his. Instead, he played along.

Konan shrieked when she felt Deidara's tongue force its way into her mouth. She shoved him away, her face turning a shade of red that was worthy of a fire type Pokémon. Deidara smiled, jumping off his bird. Then, Konan realized that she was headed straight for a tree. She turned around to jump off, but was stopped by two explosions that happened no more than five inches in front of her. She smashed into the tree, falling to the ground a few seconds later.

"W-what… What was that?" She yelled.

"You're not the only one who can use cheap tricks, un."

"Mine was a Pokémon move! _That_ wasn't a Pokémon move!"

"I beg to differ. I used lick." Deidara teased.

"You're disgusting."

* * *

A/N:

RIP: My OTP's ghost.

Cause of Death: The mass of DeiKonan in that last scene. Again.

Anyway, if anyone wants to see exactly what Orochimaru's Curse Stone looks like, I have a picture on my DeviantArt.

I also have bios of all of the characters in this series on my Live journal. I'll put the link in my profile, in case you want to read about anyone or their Pokémon.


	18. Eevee, the innocent bystander

A/N: Again, not based on an episode. The next chapter probably will be. Oh, and for those of you wondering:

My (repeatedly murdered) OTP: Pein(Nagato)XKonan. Would've had that pairing here, but I can't. Nagato and Pein are Pokémon… So, I'll substitute some other pairings.

* * *

"_Freeeee!"_

"Butterfree, you're going to have to get back in your Pokéball eventually." Konan said.

"Can't you just let it stay out for a while?" Ash asked. "It just got its wings. It probably wants to just stay out and fly around for a while."

"I guess I could… But it's still going to have to get In the Pokéball at some point."

"Well, it can at least fly over to Konoha."

"Yeah."

Butterfree looked quite pleased that it wouldn't be going back into its Pokéball, and flew up to Konan. It pulled the rose out of her hair, and handed it to her.

"Butterfree, why'd you take my-"

Butterfree didn't let Konan finish her sentence. She was too busy plopping down on Konan's head, and getting comfortable. Konan sighed, and continued walking toward Konoha.

"So, the Hokage is the gym leader, un?" Deidara asked.

"Yeah." Konan muttered.

"I wonder what kind of Pokémon she has. Any idea?"

"No."

"Okay, what's with the one-word answers?"

"Nothing."

"You _did _shove your tongue in her mouth." Ash said. "But that was a nice strategy!"

"_Freeeee!"_ Butterfree agreed.

"Are you seriously still mad about that, un?" Deidara asked.

"Of all the disgusting things you could've done, you just _had_ to choose Lick!"

"Sweet Kiss isn't much better, you know."

"At least I didn't _lick_ you!"

"I think I'd prefer being licked."

"Really?" Ash asked. "Kissing seems less creepy."

"Licking seems less romantic." Deidara retorted.

"Not really."

"You licked my _mouth_!" Konan finally yelled.

"Oh, well _excuse me!_ Would you like me to lick your cheek instead, un?"

"NO!" Konan yelled, her face beginning to turn red.

"I have three mouths, Konan. The possibilities are endless."

Deidara watched as Konan's face went from a light shade of red, to something that could almost be mistaken for purple.

"H-hey, I wasn't trying to suggest anything sexual." Deidara said.

"I know that!" She screamed, quickening her pace. Butterfree jumped off her head, and hovered next to Deidara.

"That did sound pretty awkward, you know…" Misty muttered.

"Look at what you did! Upsetting that poor lady… I guess I should go comfort her!" Brock said.

"Brock, I don't think she-"

"Quiet, Ash!" Brock yelled, running to catch up with Konan.

Ash and Misty sighed, watching Brock grab Konan's hands, and invade her personal space bubble.

"Is he like that with everyone?" Deidara asked.

"Yeah. I wonder how many rejections it'll take until he stops." Misty said.

Deidara looked over at Butterfree, hearing its wings beat faster.

"Hey, are you okay, un?"

Butterfree suddenly rushed forward, heading straight for Brock. Konan barely had time to look over before Butterfree slammed right into her pursuer's stomach.

"Butterfree! What are you doing?" Konan yelled, watching Butterfree chase Brock around in a circle.

"Well, at least Konan has some form protection." Misty said. "I guess she won't be hit on very much."

"Hey, how come it didn't attack _you_?" Ash asked, looking up at Deidara.

"What?"

"_You _stuck your tongue in her mouth, and Butterfree didn't attack _you_."

"I don't know, un. Maybe Butterfree just doesn't like Brock."

Brock ran through the group, trying to lose Butterfree in the small crowd. Deidara grabbed Butterfree's foot and pulled it back to his chest. She struggled for a few seconds, but finally relaxed.

"I wonder how far you'd have to go with Konan to make Butterfree attack you." Ash said.

"I don't really want to know, un."

"You should find out sometime." Ash said.

"What are you implying?" Deidara asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ignore him. He talks without thinking sometimes." Misty said.

"Butterfree, what was that for? I could've handled it myself." Konan asked, walking back over to the group.

"…_Freee_…"

Butterfree began to shake when Brock came back to walk with them. Luckily, he stayed as far from Konan as possible to avoid another attack. Butterfree finally broke out of Deidara's grasp, and resumed her position on Konan's head.

"By the way, it's four." Konan said.

"…What, un?

"You have four mouths, not three."

* * *

Deidara was confused when they reached Konoha. The gates were wide open, and there we no guards posted outside. He felt like this was too easy. Like something was going to go wrong.

"Wow, this place is huge!" Ash yelled, running up to the entrance. "I can't wait to meet the gym leader!"

"I bet there are a lot of pretty girls here!" Brock said.

"And powerful trainers!" Ash added.

"And hot nurses!"

"And Pokémon!"

The group finally went through the gates, Ash and Brock continuing their list of things they wanted to see.

"Butterfree, would you get back into your Pokéball now?" Konan asked.

Butterfree wasn't happy about it, but allowed Konan to put her back in the Pokéball.

"Konan, where are all the guards, un?"

"What guards?"

"Don't they usually keep guards out here?"

Deidara's question was answered when they were surrounded by ANBU, Officer Jenny, and Growlithe.

"I _knew _this was too easy…" Deidara muttered, looking for an escape route.

"All of you, I need to see your ID!" Officer Jenny yelled.

Deidara responded by changing into Pokémon form and throwing a few explosives at an ANBU's feet. The ANBU jumped away, allowing Deidara to break out of the circle, and out of the village.

"…Where'd he go…?" Ash asked.

"He'll be back." Konan said.

"Growlithe, go after him! You don't throw bombs at _my_ Pokémon and get away with it! I'll come with you as I can!" Officer Jenny said. Growlithe nodded, and ran out after Deidara.

* * *

Deidara glanced back at the small dog-like Pokémon following him. It was dangerous, despite its looks. Flames constantly shot out of its mouth, just missing him.

"You're going to have to do better than that, un!" Deidara yelled. He was answered by another Flamethrower, which he narrowly avoided. Deidara turned in midair to throw a couple of small birds at the Pokémon.

"KATSU!"

Growlithe was a trained police dog, and was not about to be hit so easily. It dashed through the smoke from the explosions, and shot another Flamethrower. Growlithe started to get frustrated when _that _missed. Deidara glanced back one more time to see fire pouring out of the Pokémon's mouth. Growlithe jumped into the air, and pulled itself into a ball. It was suddenly engulfed in flames, and flying straight at Deidara.

"What move is that?"

"_Flame wheel!_" His pokédex yelled._"The user cloaks itself in flames and charges at the opponent!"_

Deidara managed to jump over the attack, but was unprepared when Growlithe came back for another try. It hit Deidara right in the stomach, sending him into a nearby tree. On that tree was an innocent bystander, which Deidara accidentally slammed into. They fell to the ground, where he was knocked unconscious.

Growlithe had noticed the poor innocent bystander, and went over to check on it. It was an Eevee, who looked very unhappy about the current situation. It turned around to look at the person who had knocked her down. Her expression went from anger, to something that resembled a child at Christmas.

"Growlithe, did you get him?"

Growlithe and Eevee looked over to see Officer Jenny. Growlithe nodded, and pointed toward Deidara.

"Good… Return."

Eevee was confused when Jenny hoisted Deidara onto her motorcycle. She ran after the officer, and jumped up on the seat.

"Oh? Who are you?" Jenny asked.

"_Veee!"_

"You must be one of his Pokémon… Well, come on, then! Hold on tight!" She said, starting up the engine.

* * *

"You have no idea why your friend just… took off?" Tsunade asked.

"No. Then again, he's been acting strange lately. I'll sort him out when he gets back." Konan said.

"Lady Tsunade, we caught him!" Jenny announced, walking into the Hokage's office.

"He wasn't too much trouble, was he? That didn't take too long." Tsunade said.

"No, Ma'am. Growlithe took him out all by himself."

"That's good… Bring him in."

An ANBU brought a very angry Deidara in. He constantly tried to break free, but the ANBU had a strong grip. Eevee trotted in after them, still looking confused.

"Is that an Eevee?" Konan asked.

"Yeah. Is it one of his Pokémon? It seems to be following him." Jenny said.

"I don't remember Deidara catching and Eevee…"

"I didn't!" Deidara yelled. "I don't know why it's following me!"

"Maybe it likes you." Konan said. "But if you don't want it… Can I keep it? It's adorable!"

"W-what? Is that all you can think about? Help me, un!"

"Calm down." Tsunade said. "Why did you run?"

"Being surrounded by police isn't exactly the most comforting thing in the world!"

"That's what we do to all our guests." Jenny said. "It's a safety thing. Besides, you know that only guilty people run. Why were _you_ running?"

"He's just kind of strange. I'm sure he hasn't actually done anything wrong." Konan said.

The ANBU finally released Deidara, who immediately turned to fight.

"What's your problem?" Konan asked. "Stop fighting, it's not here to hurt you."

* * *

"Sorry, I can't let you fight the gym yet." Tsunade said. "You need six Pokémon to battle here, since it's a six-on-six fight."

"So we came here for nothing, un?" Deidara asked.

"Hey, we didn't come here for nothing. I got a Pokémon." Konan said.

"You still haven't put it in a pokéball, you know." Deidara said.

"Eevee… How would you like to come with us?" Konan asked, kneeling down.

"_Veeeee!"_

Eevee was almost overjoyed by the idea. It pounced on Deidara, and then allowed Konan to put it in a Pokéball.

* * *

A/N: Finally, I get Eevee in the fic. Eevee is by far my favorite Pokémon. Ever. Seriously.

Next chapter will be back on track with the anime!


	19. Bill and the Giant Pokemon

A/N: I went back and edited Sasuke-kun's pokédex entry. I changed the types.

I also went back and changed the first chapter and a little bit of chapter 16, which you should go re-read, so you're not lost later on. Sorry about that. Trying to pull a little bit away from crack-fic, and push slightly toward a better plot. Still plenty of crack, though. I promise.

By the way, school has officially started, which will cut into my writing time. Things will be a little slower. Sorry.

* * *

"Have you thought about what Pokémon you're going to use in the next gym?" Konan asked.

"What types of Pokémon are used there, un?"

"I hear that it's a one-on-one battle with an electric type."

"Electric?"

"Yeah. Since you're a ground type, you should probably do it yourself."

"Why would I do that? Earth is venerable to lightning. Wind types would be better in battle."

Words cannot describe the utter confusion on Konan's face.

"Did you hit your head or something before we left? Flying types will get _destroyed_ if they battle electric types."

"No, earth types will have a disadvantage."

"Explain this type advantage thing to me." Konan said.

"Fire beats wind. Wind beats lightning. Lightning beats earth. Earth beats water. Water beats fire."

"Okay, the only thing that made sense there was water beating fire."

"Then what the hell do _you_ think all the type advantages are, un?"

"There are a lot more than five types, you know."

"Like what?"

"Dragon. Grass. Fighting and psychic. Here, I'll tell you what's good against what. Fire beats grass, grass beats water, and water beats fire… That's for the starter Pokémon. Anyway, electric types are good against water and flying types, and…"

...

"Finally, dragon types are strong against dragon types, which is why it's really risky to have a dragon type against another dragon type. Did you get all that?"

"Probably not. I lost track after the explanation of bug types."

"Whatever. I'll give you a reminder if you need it. Do you at least understand that Ground has the advantage over Electric?"

"Yeah, Sure."

It took Deidara a few seconds to remember that Sasuke was an electric type.

"…Would I have a type advantage over Sasuke-kun…?"

"Um… Yeah. They're fire and electric. Ground is good against _both_ of those types."

"Itachi?"

"…Fire and dark… Well, you'd have an advantage over the fire type, but you're neutral to dark… Hey, are you okay?"

"Neither of them can ignore my art any more. I have the advantage here. The sharingan won't help them now…"

"Not this again… I don't know why you're trying to get a _Pokémon_ to appreciate your art. It's a Pokémon. It doesn't care about art. In fact, I think I'd question its sanity if it _did_ like art."

"Pokémon that ignore _my_ art don't deserve to live."

"Great. Are we going to have _another_ Pokémon massacre? I think most of the Pokémon in the world would be extinct, then."

"Maybe another Uchiha massacre, un…" Deidara muttered.

"Extinct all the Sasuke? And Itachi? Yeah, I bet that'll go over well."

"Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi don't deserve to live."

"One is a Pokémon, and one is human! The only things they have in common are a few attacks, and the 'Uchiha' name!"

"Hey, if Itachi is human, and Sasuke is a Pokémon, why are they both Uchihas, un?" Deidara asked, suddenly becoming distracted.

"Well, 'Uchiha' is the Sasuke and Sasuke-kun's species name. It's supposed to be like 'Uchiwa', because they have a lot of powerful fire attacks. It's also Itachi's last name."

"The species name?"

"Like… Pikachu and Raichu are mouse Pokémon, right? Pidgey, Pidgeotto, and Pidgeot are pigeon Pokémon. Sasuke are 'Uchiha' Pokémon. Get it?"

"Not really, but okay…"

"By the way, it's getting dark. Maybe we should set up camp."

_"KRABY! KRAAAABBBYYYYY!"_

_"Ash, it's with Professor Oak! You didn't drop the Pokéball!_

_"Misty, how am I going to check on it?"_

_"Ash, let's go to that lighthouse up there. I'm sure they have a phone, so we can call Professor Oak."_ Brock said.

"A lighthouse?" Konan asked.

Ash, Misty, and Brock looked over at Konan and Deidara, and were happy to see them.

"Yeah, there's a lighthouse up there." Brock said. "There's bound to be a phone, too."

"And a bed…" Misty added.

"A bed?" Konan asked. "I'd give anything to sleep in a bed tonight…"

"Then you should come with us!" Ash said. "I'm sure they have more than one bed. Besides, if there's not enough, you and your friend could always share one!"

"E-excuse me?"

"Will you stop saying shit like that, un?"

"I was just saying. It's only for one night."

"Ash… Be quiet." Misty muttered.

"Well, if you don't want to stay with him, and vice-versa,_ I _would be more than happy to share a bed with you." Brock said.

"I-I think I'll take the floor if I have to. At least we'll be indoors." Konan said.

"Nonsense! Such a pretty lady shouldn't have to sleep on the floor!" Brock exclaimed.

"Maybe _you_ should stay on the floor, Brock." Misty said.

"I'd happily give up my bed for a pretty lady."

* * *

"Hello? Is anyone here? We were wondering if we could use your phone." Ash said, wondering if the intercom was working.

"And maybe some beds?" Misty added.

"And a stove! It's been a while since I've made anything good!" Brock said.

_"Can you cook something nice? Something without tofu?"_ Someone answered.

"Uh… Yeah. I can cook lots of things without tofu."

_"Great! Come on in! I haven't had anything but tofu for the last month!"_

Ash pushed open the door and walked inside, and instantly wondered where the phone was.

"Look at the detail on these doors!" Konan said, noticing that they had Pokémon engraved on them.

"So, uh… What can you cook?" Deidara asked, walking next to Brock.

"I can cook lots of things. I can make some food for your Pokémon, too."

The group kept walking until they reached a large staircase. Then, they began to wonder where the lighthouse's keeper was.

"Hello?" Ash yelled.

_"Hi there!"_

At the top of the staircase was what appeared to be a giant Pokémon.

"W-what kind of Pokémon is that?" Misty screamed.

"Oh, no! Don't be alarmed, I just-"

"It's talking!"

"No, this is just a costume! I'm a human!"

"A costume?" Ash asked.

"Yes. You see, I made this Kabuto costume to try and get into the Pokémon's head. It helps me understand how the Pokémon lived."

"That… doesn't look like Kabuto." Deidara muttered, remembering Orochimaru's underling.

"Maybe you're thinking of the other one." Konan said. "There are two kinds of Kabuto."

"That would explain it."

"Could one of you help me get this off?" The man asked. "I can't quite reach the button!"

Ash went up to the top of the stairs, and pushed the button. The costume opened up to reveal a man with a bad British accent.

"Thank you so much! The costume's arms were too short to reach the button!"

"What's your name, anyway?" Ash asked.

"My name is Bill!"

"Bill? Do you have a phone? I really need to call professor Oak!"

* * *

"Jessie, do we have to? Why do we always have to be the bad guys?"

"Because, James! It's just how we are!"

"Why can't we be famous good guys?"

"Because we're famous bad guys!"

"You two, be quiet! We gotta get in dat lighthouse. We could use da front door." Meowth suggested.

"Or we could climb up that cliff." Jessie said, noticing that the lighthouse was very close to the edge.

"Of course we have to take the cliff, we're criminals." James pointed out.

"Only one problem." Jessie muttered.

"Yeah…"

"We're afraid of heights!" The Rockets screamed, clinging to each other for comfort.

* * *

"There's so many Pokémon, Bill… Do you ever think we'll find them all?" Ash asked.

"No. We never will. There are too many on this planet, and maybe on other planets!"

"How many are there?"

"Over one hundred and fifty… But there's one special Pokémon I want to see."

"What is it?"

"It's… Come on, I want to show you something."

* * *

"You see… I was in this lighthouse one night, and a Pokémon called to me from across the sea…"

"What did it sound like?" Ash asked.

Bill pulled a button out of his pocket, and pressed it. A loud noise came from the lighthouse, it almost sounded like a whale's song.

"It… Sounds beautiful." Misty said.

"Yes… It said… 'I'm lonely. I want a friend'…"

"Poor thing. Doesn't it have a family?" Ash asked.

"No. It's all alone. I felt bad, so I sent a message back. I told it: 'I want to be your friend'."

"Then what happened?"

"It called back, saying it wanted to be my friend, too!" Bill said, turning the noise off.

"Wow! What are you going to do when you meet the Pokémon?" Ash asked. "Are you gonna catch it?"

"Why do I have to catch it? Just meeting it would be enough for me."

Suddenly, the noise came back again, and it sounded louder than the speakers.

"What's that?" Ash asked.

"It… It's coming! The Pokémon is calling out again!" Bill yelled, looking out to sea.

"That Pokémon sounds pretty big." Konan muttered.

"It sounds like a whale." Deidara said, completely uninterested in the current topic.

"It does, doesn't it?"

"It's… beautiful." Misty whispered.

"Care to dance?" Brock asked.

* * *

"Jessie, what's that noise?"

"Who cares, James? Just keep climbing and don't look down!"

"Hurry it up, you two! We gotta get to the top soon!"

The noise seemed to get closer and closer, until it seemed to be just behind Team Rocket. They turned and saw what appeared to be a giant dragon. It was taller than the lighthouse, and looked quite threatening.

"W-what is that?" James yelled.

"It looks like a giant Pokémon!" Jessie said.

"Let's catch it!" Meowth suggested.

"What? Why do we always have to do stuff like this? Even _I_ think this is rotten!"

"Quiet, James! Get the bazooka!"

* * *

"It… It's the giant Pokémon! Oh, how happy I am to meet it!" Bill exclaimed.

Deidara backed away, wondering if this dragon Pokémon was the same kind that had been in _his_ world. He hoped not. It was powerful, and could probably kill them all in an instant. Suddenly, an explosion hit the dragon's stomach, causing it to roar in pain. Konan instantly glared at Deidara.

"What did you do?" She yelled.

"W-what? That wasn't me, un! I'm not even in Pokémon form, how could I have done that?"

"Then who the hell was it?"

Another explosion went off, causing the roar to get even louder.

"P-Pokémon! Wait! No, what's going on?" Bill yelled.

The dragon smashed its tail into the cliff as it turned away, crushing Team Rocket. They fell into the ocean, regretting the attack.

"Wait! No, don't go! Please!" Bill begged.

The dragon ignored him, continuing out to sea. It faded into the fog, leaving Bill feeling empty and unfulfilled. Deidara, on the other hand, was rather happy. Apparently, that had not been the same Pokémon from that strange incident, and everyone was still alive and unharmed. Well, everyone except Team Rocket.

* * *

A/N: New theory. Kishimoto played Pokémon Yellow when he was little, and was angry when his Pikachu couldn't defeat Onix. So, he wrote Naruto to completely screw over the Pokémon type advantages. Yesssssss…

I guess this chapter was kind of boring, but whatever. Next chapter will be better, since everyone will finally get to Vermillion city.


	20. Vermillion city

A/N: I was going to mention that the giant dragon in the last chapter was actually just a really huge Dragonite. I forgot to do that. So, yeah. It was a giant Dragonite. Thanks for reminding me, atlantiandragoness!

* * *

"Vermillion city… Finally!" Brock said.

"I'm starving!" Misty yelled.

"Come on Pikachu, let's go get that badge!" Ash exclaimed, running into the town.

"Ash, Pikachu is probably really hungry, too! Shouldn't we all get cleaned up first? We've been stuck in the woods for ten days, now!" Misty whined.

"We wouldn't have been stuck for so long if _somebody_ wasn't so paranoid, un." Deidara muttered, glaring at Konan.

"Look, if we got caught in Pokémon form, the police would've arrested us. Let's go eat."

"Yeah, yeah. Where's this gym anyway?"

"Come on, let's go find it!" Ash said.

"We're getting something to eat first. That's final." Konan said. "All of our Pokémon must be starving."

Deidara released all of his Pokémon, who looked at him curiously.

"Who's hungry?"

They quickly raised their hands, eager to be fed.

* * *

"Nurse Joy?" Ash asked.

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah, we just got here, and our Pokémon are really tired and hungry."

"So are we, un." Deidara added.

"I can get your Pokémon back to normal, and you guys can use the guest rooms to clean yourselves up." Nurse Joy said, taking Ash's Pikachu.

"Okay."

"You'll have to hurry up, though. This place is very crowded."

"Did something happen?" Konan asked.

"No, the gym leader is just being hard on the new trainers."

As if to prove a point, a Sakura-Chan came out of one of the rooms, holding bloodied bandages.

"…The gym leader did… That?" Ash asked, watching the Sakura-chan rush into another room.

Pikachu sank back in Nurse Joy's arms, suddenly terrified of fighting the gym leader.

"Huh? Oh, no. He'd never hurt them _that_ badly. Sakura-Chan is trying to help a trainer, actually."

"What happened to him?"

"He got attacked by a family of Madara on the way here."

"O-oh… Is he okay?"

"He should be fine; Sakura-Chan is very skilled."

* * *

"Okay, now that we don't look like cave people, we'll go find that gym." Konan said, putting the rose up in her hair.

"I think it's that way." Ash muttered, pointing to the left. "But I wanna battle him first, I call dibs!"

"Fine. We'll go do something else while you go get your badge." Konan said.

"What else is there to do?" Deidara asked.

"Um… Well, I'm sure they could use some help in the Pokémon center. It's kind of packed."

"Yeah, but that's because the gym leader is tough." Ash pointed out. "Are you sure you'll be able to handle it?"

"_Pika-Chuuu…_"

"Pikachu, you'll be fine. Come on, I know you can do it!" Ash said. "It's these guys I'm worried about."

"No problem." Konan said. "I'm sure we'll be fine."

"How? Your Pokémon don't seem very resistant to electric types."

"I think I might battle him myself, but I don't know. Deidara will be fine. He's a ground type."

"Ground type? Electric moves won't even affect you!" Ash yelled.

"Then we're all set, un. Go have your battle so we can take him down."

Ash walked down the road, dragging a very unwilling Pikachu with him.

* * *

"This Rattata is paralyzed…" Nurse Joy said.

"Do we need to go get some paralyze heals from the market?" Konan asked.

"No, it'll be fine. Sakura, come here!"

One of the many Sakura ran up to Nurse Joy, ready for orders.

"Use Heal Bell."

Sakura nodded, holding her hands over the Rattata. Her hands began to emit chakra, releasing Rattata from its paralysis. It whined; finally able to react to the pain it felt.

"Nurse Joy, help us!"

Deidara, who was now running the front desk (Which was probably a bad idea.), glanced up to see Ash holding his Pikachu.

"You lost?" Deidara asked.

"Pikachu didn't do well at all! I told him to stop, but he wouldn't listen!"

"HEY! NURSE JOY!"

Deidara looked behind Ash to see Naruto dashing through the door, with Sasuke on his back.

"You, too?" Ash asked.

"My Sasuke got his ass kicked! That gym leader is really tough, he beat my strongest Pokémon!"

Deidara couldn't help but smile at Sasuke's failure. He stood up and led the two trainers to Nurse Joy, who looked bewildered by the overwhelming number of patients.

"Do you know any healing moves?" Nurse Joy muttered.

"Me?" Deidara asked. "Not at all."

"Konan?"

"Um… No, sorry."

"My Sakura might know some healing moves." Naruto said.

"Could you ask? We could really use the help around here."

Naruto dumped Sasuke on an empty bed, and released Sakura from her Pokéball. She kneeled at Sasuke's bedside almost immediately, feeling devastated by his current condition. The rest of the Sakura joined her, looking sad, but not helping in any way.

"Hey! We have other patients, here!" Nurse Joy yelled. The Sakura ignored her, focusing solely on Sasuke.

"What's with this huge female entourage?" Deidara asked.

"Jealous, aren't you?" Konan teased.

"I wouldn't _want_ a bunch of Sakura surrounding me like that. It's creepy."

"Sakura-chan!" Nurse Joy yelled. "Get in here and straighten out these Sakura!"

The Sakura-chan walked into the room, disposing of some bloody kunai and gloves. She sighed, looking disappointed with her pre-evolutions' behavior. She pushed them aside, showing off her more advanced healing technique. Sasuke finally opened his eyes, and was very confused as to why there were so many Sakura surrounding him.

"You're awake!" Naruto yelled.

Sasuke began to push himself up, but immediately fell into a fetal position, groaning in pain. The Sakura gasped, and started whispering amongst themselves.

"That Raichu gave you a tough time, you know." Naruto reminded him. "Just relax for a while, we can try again later!"

"Sakura-chan, could you take that Sasuke to another room? He's very distracting." Nurse Joy said.

The Sakura looked sad when Sakura-chan took Sasuke away. They followed her to the door, but she closed it before they could follow her. The only Sakura that managed to get through was Naruto's Sakura. Then again, she didn't have other duties to attend to.

"Hey… that means that your Sasuke woke up, right?" Konan asked.

"Um… Yeah, you were here. It happened a few seconds ago."

"No, I mean after that guy bit him."

"Oh, yeah. Grandma Tsunade told me it was probably serious, and that we should investigate, but whatever. He's fine now."

"Oh. Well, that's good."

"Yep."

"Konan, would you mind bringing Sakura-chan back here after she's done with Sasuke? She should be done with that trainer by now, too." Nurse Joy said.

"Sure."

Konan and Deidara walked over to Sasuke's room, and waited for Sakura-Chan to finish up.

"Hey, Nurse Joy wants you back in the other room when you're done." Konan told her.

Sakura-Chan nodded, and left the room, leaving Sakura to cry about Sasuke's condition.

"They're so cute." Konan said, dreamily looking at Sakura and Sasuke.

"Cute? Them?" Deidara asked.

"Yeah… I bet they'll have eggs someday."

Deidara almost felt physically ill from the image.

"Ew."

"What? They're adorable together, look at them!"

"I don't think I want to anymore, un."

"You're just mad because _you_ don't have someone like that."

"You're one to talk! You don't have anybody here, either!"

"Maybe I _like_ it that way."

* * *

"So, this is the gym?" Konan asked.

"Looks like it. Let's go see."

The two of them walked inside, and found themselves face to face with two very annoying men.

"Hey, Surge! We got two more ready to get creamed!" one of them yelled.

"Yeah? Who is it this time?" The gym leader asked, walking out from the shadows.

"He's… huge." Konan muttered, looking up at the very muscular man.

"Well, well! Long time since I've had a pretty lady battle me! Don't think I'll go easy on you!"

"I wouldn't expect you to."

Lieutenant Surge turned to look at his other challenger, who was currently removing the pokéballs from his belt.

"Well, another pretty lady! How lucky am I?"

Deidara froze, unsure of how to react to such a ridiculous statement. Konan giggled, trying not to laugh too much.

"Frozen with fear?" Surge asked. "It's okay, lady. If your Pokémon are tired, I'll stop."

Konan had to resist laughter even harder, which made tears form in her eyes.

"Hey, you're crying?" Surge asked, noticing the tears. "You don't have to battle me if you don't want. You're pretty friend here still wants to try, right?"

"I'm not a-" Deidara started.

"You've got a deep voice, lady."

"I'm not a girl, you idiot!" Deidara yelled, pulling Surge down to eye level.

"Oh, you're a guy. You look like a lady from way up here!" He laughed, making a point of his size.

"Where's this Pokémon I'm battling?" Deidara yelled, wanting revenge.

"Raichu, come out!"

Raichu came out of Surge's Pokéball, looking up at the two challengers.

"Well, Raichu. We've got a pretty lady, and another baby."

"A… baby?" Deidara asked.

"I call all my weak challengers babies!"

"Weak?"

"I won't call you anything else 'till you beat me!"

"Really, un? I'll show you and your stupid Raichu the power of my art!"

"Art, huh? Never been a big fan of art."

"You'll _love_ mine." Deidara said, smiling at the thought of the explosions.

"Alright, let's get started, _baby_!"

* * *

"It's a one-on-one battle! First Pokémon to faint loses! GO!"

"This should be a breeze for you, Deidara." Konan said. "Ground types won't even get hurt by electric moves."

"You're a ground type, huh?" Surge asked. "No problem! Raichu, try a thunderbolt!"

Deidara stood still, waiting to see if electricity was really that easy to handle. When it hit, all he felt was a tingle as it passed through him. It didn't hurt. He could hardly tell it was happening. This made him inexplicably happy. If this couldn't hurt him, Chidori shouldn't, either.

"Yep, that's a ground type. Raichu, mega kick!"

Deidara jumped over Raichu, which was easy because Raichu hardly came up to his thigh. He glanced around, deciding that the gym was just big enough to fly in. Maybe he wouldn't be high up, but it would give him a speed advantage.

"Body slam, Raichu!"

Deidara held his hands out, waiting to catch Raichu. It didn't _look_ heavy.

Looks can be deceiving. Raichu knocked Deidara into the ground, laughing at his assumptions. Deidara pushed himself back up, glaring at Raichu. Raichu waited for Deidara to move, feeling overconfident in his abilities. Deidara took off on a bird, making a circle around the gym. If he could see Konan's face, he probably wouldn't have done that.

"You idiot!" She yelled.

Deidara ignored her, focusing on his art. Raichu smiled, his cheeks beginning to spark.

"Electricity again? It doesn't do anything!" Deidara yelled.

"Raichu, thunderbolt!"

Deidara felt uncomfortable when the lightning hit his bird. It started to feel unstable.

"Deidara, birds are flying types!" Konan screamed. "Why would you make a bird, of all things?"

"But I used earth seals! Electricity doesn't do anything against earth!"

"It's still a bird, so it's a flying type!"

As if to rub it in his face, the bird exploded, sending Deidara into the ceiling, and then to the ground. Maybe close combat was a better idea.

"Raichu, use body slam again!"

Deidara ducked under Raichu, and threw a clay spider at him. Raichu turned around just in time to get hit in the face with art.

"KATSU!"

Raichu skidded across the gym, managing to stop himself before he hit the wall. He growled, angry that he had actually been injured. Two more birds came after him, but they were much faster than the one Deidara had used for transportation. Raichu hardly had time to notice them before it was too late. They exploded right in his face, which threw him against the wall he had tried so hard not to hit.

"Raichu, mega punch!"

Raichu jumped back up, running straight at Deidara. Raichu might've been strong, but he wasn't very fast. Deidara easily side-stepped him, and hit him with another explosion.

"Raichu, Take Down!"

Raichu tried to push himself back up for another attack, but Deidara made one more piece of art to finish it off. He groaned when another spider fell on his back. The explosion knocked Raichu unconscious, making Deidara the winner.

* * *

A/N: Well, that's that. Next few chapters might take a little while, because I have a lot planned.


	21. The sinking ship

A/N: Apparently, the S.S. Anne is also called the St. Anne. So, I'll swap between those two names. Just know it's the same thing.

* * *

"Hi, Nurse Joy!" Konan said, dashing into the Pokémon center.

"Hi! How'd the gym battle go? What Pokémon did you use?"

"Nagato knows a really powerful ground-type move, so I used him. It worked out really well."

"Great job! I'll heal up your Pokémon!" Nurse Joy said, taking the Pokéball Konan was holding.

"Thanks… Hey, do you know where the docks are?"

"Oh, it's just east of here. You go across the bridge, and you'll see the docks. Why?"

"Well, I wanted to see the St. Anne."

"Oh, yeah! That's in town now, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I think I'll just wash up, first. That gym can get surprisingly dirty during battle."

"Dirty? You didn't even battle! How did that happen?"

"Yeah, well… Nagato was using Rock Tomb, but you have to pull rocks up from the ground to do that. When he was pulling them up with Psychic, dust got everywhere."

"Well, you're welcome to use the shower. Oh, but I think Deidara just took a shower. Make sure you knock." Nurse Joy said, handing Konan a few towels.

"I always knock. Who doesn't?"

Konan pushed open one of the guest room doors, dumping her bags on the bed. She released her Pokémon, deciding to give them some time outside their pokéballs.

"You guys can just relax for a while. We're going to try and find the St. Anne later!"

"_Freeee!"_

Eevee left the guest room, wanting to look around the Pokémon center. Yahiko followed her out, and went off in a different direction.

"I'm just going to take a shower." Konan said. "I'll be right back."

Butterfree and Nidoran waved goodbye, and sat down on the bed. Eevee looked back at her trainer, wondering where the bathroom was. She followed Konan, who knocked on the closed door.

"Hey, anyone in here?"

The door opened a few seconds later to reveal Deidara, who was attempting to towel-dry his hair.

"I'll be out in a minute, un."

"…Is there a reason you're shirtless…?" Konan asked.

"You should know by now that if your hair is wet, your shirt will get wet."

"You don't even have a shirt in this room." Konan noticed.

"It's in my bag."

"Well, hurry up. I need a shower, too."

Deidara put the towel down, and noticed that Konan's Eevee was sitting next to her.

"…Is your Eevee okay…?"

Konan looked down at Eevee, who was currently as stiff as a statue, and drooling.

"Eevee?" Konan asked. "Are you alright?"

Eevee didn't respond. She was too distracted by Deidara's lack of clothing.

Deidara went back to his room, and shut the door. Konan went into the bathroom and put the towels down.

"Oh… Eevee, Deidara left his hair-tie here. Could you bring it to him?"

Eevee grabbed the hair-tie, and dashed to Deidara's room. Unfortunately, his door was closed. Eevee sat outside to wait.

* * *

"Oh, Yahiko! Nagato-san is all fixed up!"

Yahiko looked over at Nurse Joy, who handed him the Pokéball.

"Could you take that to Konan?"

Yahiko nodded, but decided there was no reason to leave Nagato in the Pokéball. He released Nagato, and decided to put the Pokéball back with Konan's things.

* * *

"I left my hair-tie in the bathroom." Deidara muttered, pushing his door open. He was now wearing a shirt, much to Eevee's disappointment. Eevee jumped up, and tried to show him that she had the hair-tie. He ignored her, and kept walking to the bathroom.

"Konan, is my hair-tie in there, un?"

Konan didn't reply.

"…Is she still in there, or did she leave…?"

"_Veee!"_

"Eevee, hang on."

Deidara knocked on the door, but nobody responded.

'_She must've gotten out already.'_

Deidara pushed the door open, only to find himself face-to-face with Konan. This normally wouldn't have been too bad. However, the only thing Konan was wearing at the moment was a towel. After a few seconds of extremely awkward silence, Deidara tried to say something.

"Uh… I just-"

Konan's figure exploded into paper, dropping the towel on the floor. Deidara slammed the door shut, and could hear paper piling up on the other side. He turned around to find Yahiko and Nagato, who had just come back out of Konan's room. They didn't look too happy.

"Um… You know, I really didn't mean to-"

They ignored his excuses, pushing him up against the wall. Eevee clawed her way up Deidara's pants, and put his hair-tie around his finger.

"Y-you had it? Why didn't you say something, un?"

Eevee sighed, and climbed up to Deidara's shoulder. She was confused as to why Nagato and Yahiko were still glaring at him.

"Got my hair-tie. I'll be… going now, un."

Nagato and Yahiko stood in front of him, which kept him from leaving. Yahiko pulled his arm back, getting ready to punish Deidara. Eevee hissed, jumping at Yahiko. Her tail turned white, and smashed Yahiko into the floor.

"What move was that, un?"

"_Iron tail!" _The pokédex yelled. "_The foe is hit with a tail that is as hard as steel!"_

Nagato looked at Eevee, who was standing in front of Deidara with her back arched, baring her fangs. He tried to get closer, but Eevee attacked him, too. Her claws grew longer, and slashed Nagato across the face. He backed away, wiping the blood off.

Before anyone could be seriously injured, the bathroom door opened. Konan stepped out, quickly walking back to get her things. After picking up her backpack and Nagato's egg, she went back to the lobby. Deidara followed her, but Nagato and Yahiko walked in front of him, making sure he wouldn't get too close.

"Why didn't you lock the door?" Deidara yelled.

"The lock is broken."

Deidara remembered that this was true, as he wasn't able to lock the door, either.

"Why didn't you say anything when I knocked, un?"

"I didn't hear you; I was trying to dry my hair! You didn't knock very hard!"

Butterfree and Nidoran were wondering what happened, seeing as they weren't there.

"_Freee?"_

"_E-Eevee. Eevee."_

"_FREEE?"_

"_Vee…"_

Butterfree stopped moving, and fell to the floor. If it was possible for a purple Pokémon to turn red, Butterfree was showing off.

"Butterfree?" Konan asked.

"_F-fr…eeee…"_

Konan put Butterfree back in its Pokéball, and then proceeded to put everyone else in their Pokéball. Yahiko and Nagato refused to get in at first, wanting to keep Deidara from getting too close. After a while, they finally allowed it. Konan could take care of herself.

* * *

"This is so great! I got my badge!" Ash yelled.

"You're not the only one." Misty reminded him. "Deidara and Konan got theirs."

"Wasn't so hard." Deidara said.

"Do you think Itachi got his yet?" Konan asked.

"Who cares, un?"

"Hey, wow… Look at that ship!" Ash yelled, pointing to a huge cruise ship.

"The St. Anne must be around here, then!" Konan said, running down the dock.

"What's so great about the St. Anne?" Deidara asked, following her.

"It's… It's huge! And only really rich Pokémon trainers can get on!"

"We're not rich, you know. Why are we going to see it?"

"I have tickets!"

"H-how did you get tickets, un?"

"You have tickets?" Ash asked.

"Jiraiya can get them pretty easily. He knows people." Konan said. "He got a bunch of tickets, so he gave me a few."

"How many do you have, un?"

"Two."

"Aw, that means we can't go with you." Ash said.

"Ash, that's rude!" Misty yelled. "I hope you guys have fun!"

"Wait, who said we were going on it, un? We could give the tickets away."

"You don't want to go?" Konan asked. "There's something wrong with you."

"There's other stuff we could be doing."

"The next badge, I know. But it's only for a couple of days, it'll be fun!"

"I wish _we_ could afford that cruise." Ash muttered.

"Reality hurts." Brock said.

"Hey there!"

Everyone turned to see two people, looking overly energetic.

"Is that Team Rocket, un?"

"What are you talking about?" Konan asked. "That looks nothing like Team Rocket."

"Yes it does. The guy… James? He's in drag, and he dyed his hair."

"We, like, totally have tickets to that cruise! But we don't want them, so we're like… giving them to you!" One girl yelled, shoving the tickets into Ash's hands.

"COOOOOOL!" The other yelled.

"Why would you just give them away?" Misty asked.

"Uh… We wanted to hang out with our boyfriends! Just take them!"

"Okay! Thanks!" Ash yelled, grabbing the tickets.

"Why am _I_ the only one that recognizes them, un?" Deidara muttered.

"Because you're delusional?"

* * *

"That's the St. Anne?" Ash asked. "It's huge."

"I know! It has a golf course on the top and everything!" Konan told him.

"Really? Wow! What are we waiting for, let's get on!"

The group ran up the stairs, and boarded the ship. They walked through the main doors to find a huge ballroom, complete with tables, Pokémon battles, and trainers.

"Did you ever find those Pokémon condoms you were looking for?"

Deidara turned around to see Kakuzu.

"Uh… no."

"I'm thinking I might try and find some for my store. I bet people would buy them."

"You're on here, too?" Konan asked. "Oh, wait. Of course you are. You're rich."

"I didn't need to be rich to get on here."

"Y-you snuck on?"

"I have a shop set up on here. There are a lot of merchants on board, and I always set up on the St. Anne. People who do that get discounts on tickets. I've already earned back the money I paid to get on."

"Wow. Where are the shops?"

"They're lined up against the walls."

* * *

"Hey! Hey, you!"

The three ninja looked over to see a man with a fish tank in front of him.

"Are you interested in making tons of money?"

"Yes." Kakuzu said, walking up to the fish tank.

"You see this Pokémon?" He asked, pointing at the tank.

The three of them looked down into the tank. There appeared to be a large orange fish Pokémon inside.

"A Magikarp?" Konan asked.

"Yes, a Magikarp! These things are a Pokémon gold mine!"

"Oh, really?" Kakuzu asked, crossing his arms.

"Every Magikarp is worth one hundred dollars! That Magikarp will lay one thousand eggs! All those eggs will hatch, and lay one thousand more eggs each! After three generations, you'll have enough Magikarp to make a fortune!"

"Magikarp are considered the most useless Pokémon on the planet." Konan said.

"Well, it still-"

"They're not worth one hundred dollars." Kakuzu interrupted.

"Uh… BYE!"

The man dashed off, trying to avoid more criticism.

"What a scam." Kakuzu muttered, walking away.

Konan and Deidara looked at a few more shops before spotting a familiar face.

"Is that Itachi?"

"Great, un…"

"Itachi! Hi!"

* * *

"This food is delicious!" Konan exclaimed.

"You don't really think they'd have a ship like this with food that was sub-par, do you?" Itachi asked.

"I guess not. So, did you catch any new Pokémon?" Konan asked.

"I did."

"What kind?"

Itachi pulled a Pokéball off his belt, and released a Pokémon on the table.

"_Rai-chu!"_

"Wow, you got a Raichu?"

"Yes. He did quite well against Surge's Raichu."

"It's so cute!"

Raichu smiled and bowed at Konan, thanking her for the compliment.

"And polite."

"_Chu."_

"Did you get anything new?"

"I got a Nidoran and an Eevee… Oh, Nagato and Metapod evolved, too." Konan said, releasing all of the Pokémon she had just mentioned. That was the first time she noticed the scratch on Nagato's face.

"What happened?"

Nagato glared down at Eevee, who looked quite proud of herself.

"Did Eevee do that, or are you just blaming it on her?"

Nagato looked at Konan in disbelief. She was _defending_ Eevee?

"I'm just making sure; it's not that I don't believe you."

"No, Eevee _did_ do that, un." Deidara said.

"Eevee! Why did you scratch him?"

"He started it, un." Deidara muttered, pointing at Nagato.

Nagato glared at Deidara. He most certainly did _not_ start it. It was Deidara's fault!

"…Well, whatever… Just don't do it again, Eevee."

"_Vee…"_

"Oh, did I mention Nagato had an egg?"

"No. No you didn't." Itachi said, putting down his food.

"Oh… Well, he did." Konan muttered, picking it up.

"It's… big." Itachi noticed. The egg almost came up to her knee when it was set down.

"Well, it was really tiny at first. But, you know…. A Pokémon's gotta fit in here, so I guess it grew with the Pokémon or something."

"Interesting."

"Hey, how'd you get your tickets?" Deidara asked, remembering how expensive they were.

"Some schoolgirls gave me one."

"Hey, some schoolgirls gave Ash and his friends some tickets, too." Konan said. "That's funny."

_"ALRIGHT, HAND OVER YOUR POKÉMON!"_

The ship erupted into chaos when many of the passengers revealed their true identity! Team rocket!

_"Prepare for trouble!"_

_"Make it double!"_

_"To protect the world from devastation!"_

_"To unite all peoples within our nation."_

_"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"_

_"To extend our reach to the stars above!"_

_"Jessie!"_

_"James!"_

_"Team rocket blast off at the speed of light!"_

_"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"_

_"Me-owth that's right!"_

"What? What's going on?" One of the innocent passengers asked.

"They're trying to take our Pokémon!" Ash yelled from across the room.

"Oh no!"

"Do they think we'll just hand them over?" Itachi asked. "Do they expect us to surrender?"

"How weak do they think we are, un?"

"Let's give them hell." Konan suggested.

The three of them changed into Pokémon form to fight, though it hardly seemed necessary. Other trainers seemed to have the same idea, commanding their Pokémon to attack Team Rocket. The Pokémon seemed to have little concern for their surroundings, which caused the ship to take damage. Deidara's explosions didn't help.

"KATSU!"

"Deidara, watch it!" Konan yelled. "You're going to blow a hole in the ship!"

Deidara didn't hear Konan. Something else prevented him from making any more of his 'art'. He was out of clay. Then again, he hadn't gotten any since he'd arrived in this strange place. It was surprising it had even lasted this long.

"Shit…"

Deidara's lack of clay hardly seemed to matter. The battle was over a few seconds later, and all of the Rockets were off of the ship. Unfortunately, the ship had taken too much damage, and there was a massive storm brewing outside. The captain had already abandoned ship, causing the rest of the passengers to panic.

"We're sinking?" One person yelled. "What do you mean we're sinking?"

"Oh god, we're all going to die!"

The panicking crowd ran for the life boats, filling each one as much as possible.

"Let's get to the boats." Itachi said, calmly walking toward the deck. "We're obviously not going down very fast."

The three of them drew all their Pokémon back into their pokéballs to make things a little easier. Just as they walked outside, a massive wave struck the ship, tipping it sideways. Nagato's egg rolled out of Konan's arm, and down to the edge of the deck.

"Leave it, let's get out of here!" Deidara said.

"No way!" Konan yelled, chasing after the egg. Another wave hit the ship, causing it to roll over completely. The ninja fell into the ocean, and small items flew out of the ship's open windows. Konan was hit with a large plate, knocking her out. Itachi and Deidara swam after her, but didn't have enough air to chase her all the way down. Itachi barely managed to hit the button on one of her Pokéballs, releasing Squirtle. Squirtle tried to pull his trainer to the surface, but was too small to bear the weight. Itachi and Deidara watched in horror as the two of them sank out of view.

"What should we do?" Deidara asked as they surfaced. "Do you have another water type to send after them, un?"

"No."

The two of them were startled when a bright light began to shine from the depths. A few seconds later, Konan came back up on the back of a Wartortle.

"Wartortle? Where did that come from?" Itachi asked.

"_Tortle!"_

"Did Squirtle evolve, un?"

"_War-tortle! War!"_

As amazing as that was, it wasn't going to do them much good if they were stuck in the middle of the ocean.

"We should try and get back inside the boat." Itachi said.

"Inside, un? Shouldn't we wait for help?"

"There's air and solid ground inside. Others are still trapped inside, anyway."

Wartortle seemed to agree, diving back under the ship. He swam into one of the open windows, and into the ballroom. Itachi and Deidara followed, wondering if Wartortle knew where he was going. He went through the kitchen doors, and searched the kitchen for a way up. Itachi and Deidara were not pleased with this, as they were beginning to run out of air. Konan, being unconscious, probably wasn't going to last long, either. After another minute or so of searching, the two of them couldn't wait any longer. Their lungs were on fire. Deidara began to try and break through the kitchen's floor, which would lead to higher ground. Just as he started to make progress, he passed out from the lack of oxygen.

* * *

A/N: Well, yeah. First part was just for crack, I guess. Next part should be fast-ish, but I don't know, because I also have to finish a request. (Don't worry; this is still my main project.)


	22. Escape from the St anne

A/N: so, this was the episode right after the St. Anne sinks. I kind of skipped a bit of it in the fic, because I couldn't think of anything interesting to put there. But, only like one scene.

* * *

"Ah, this place is beautiful."

"It is…"

"To protect the world from devastation…"

"To unite all peoples within our nation…"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love…"

"To extend our reach to the stars above…"

"…Jessie…"

"…James…"

"Team rocket blast off at the speed of light…"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight…"

"The sun is so beautiful, James."

"It's so hot…"

"Sooo hot…"

"Burning."

"I'm on fire… Fire! Ow! Fire!"

"It's too hot! Aaah!"

* * *

"WOULD YOU TWO WAKE UP?" Meowth screamed.

Jessie and James jumped up, and realized that they had been dreaming. Unfortunately, they had fallen asleep under an oven, which was now pouring fire onto their heads. They ran to the nearest source of water, which was a broken pipe.

"Meowth, what happened?"

"You two idiots got knocked out when da ship tipped ova!"

"Why didn't you wake us up?"

"Maybe if you weren't such a numbskull I could've!"

"Well… where are we?"

"da ship sank, so we're at da bottom'a da ocean!"

"Well, there's no point in staying here. Go, Ekans!"

"Jess, what're ya doin?"

"Ekans, use Acid!"

"Jess, we're unda wata! If ya burn a hole in da floor, we'll drown! I don't like wata!"

"Quiet, Meowth!"

Meowth did have a point. Once Ekans had gotten through the floor, water began to pour in.

"What'd I tell ya?"

Jessie and James jumped on the hole, trying to prevent any more water from entering. Sadly, their attempt was in vain. The room flooded almost immediately, leaving Team Rocket without any air. The water also brought in a few unexpected guests. A Wartortle swam through the hole, carrying a trainer on its back. Two more trainers drifted up into the room, looking rather dead.

* * *

"So… should we swim down and see if there's a way out?"

"Ash, what happens if we go down there and we can't find an exit? Then what?"

"We'll drown."

"Exactly. Here, let me send Goldeen down first. It can tell us if there's a way out."

"Alright."

"Go, Goldeen!"

"_Goldeen!"_

"Goldeen, swim down the stairs and see if there's a way out, okay?"

"_Deen!"_

* * *

"What's taking Goldeen so long?"

"I don't know… But, if it takes this long to find an exit, I don't think there is one."

"Should we go… up? To the bottom of the ship?"

"We have to wait for Goldeen to get back, first."

"How long's that gonna take?"

As if it were psychic, Goldeen swam back up to Misty, Ash, and Brock. On its back, it carried Jessie, James, and Meowth.

"Team Rocket?"

"They were stuck here, too?"

"Are they…?" Ash began.

Wartortle came up a few seconds later, dragging Itachi, Konan, and Deidara onto dry ground.

"And those three?" Brock asked.

"Pikachu, Thunder Shock!"

"_Pika!"_

Having been drenched in water, the unconscious trainers were not exactly happy when they were shocked.

"What the hell, un?"

"Ooooow… Hey, what was dat foa?" Meowth screamed.

"You're alive!" Misty said.

"I'm sure you could've found a more pleasant way to get us up." Itachi muttered.

"Why did I feel that? I'm a ground type!" Deidara asked.

"You're not in Pokémon form. You're human now, not a ground type." Itachi told him.

"That's cheap."

"Hey, how come she's not up?" Ash asked, pointing at Konan.

"Is she…?"

"She _was_ knocked out before we were…" Itachi pointed out.

"She's not breathing." Brock whispered, kneeling down next to her.

It took Deidara a few seconds to realize that everyone was staring at him.

"…What…?"

"I think she needs CPR or something." Ash said.

"And?"

"You're with her the most, you do it!" Misty yelled.

"Me? Why me, un?"

"Just do it!"

Deidara glared at Misty, and picked up a few of Konan's pokéballs. He released Yahiko, Nagato, Eevee, Nidoran and Butterfree, who were feeling extremely disoriented due to the fact that they were standing on the ceiling.

"Your trainer needs CPR, un."

The five of them looked down at Konan, and suddenly understood the severity of the situation. They kneeled down next to her, only to realize that none of them had the slightest idea what to do. They looked at Deidara for help.

"I'll do it!" Brock offered.

"Of course you would…" Misty muttered.

Butterfree immediately jumped up, shoving Brock away.

"Butterfree, stop it, un!" Deidara yelled.

"_Free!"_

After giving Brock one final shove, Butterfree jumped up and started yanking on Deidara's ponytail.

"Damn it, un! Stop!"

"I think Butterfree wants you to do it." Misty said.

"Hey, Brock's more willing!" Deidara pointed out.

"_Free!"_

Eevee wasn't exactly pleased with Butterfree, either. How dare she try and _force_ Deidara into something? Eevee climbed up onto Deidara's shoulder, and jumped at Butterfree. However, because Butterfree never actually let go of Deidara's ponytail, he went down with them, and fell back into the water.

Brock took advantage of the confusion, and began the CPR. It only took a few seconds for Konan to sit up, and start vomiting water.

"Hey, you're awake!" Ash said.

After she was done choking, Nagato and Yahiko helped her up, and waited for her to say something.

"…What happened…?"

"The ship sank, un." Deidara said, dragging himself back out of the flooded staircase. Butterfree and Eevee followed him, glaring at each other.

"Sank? We're… underwater?"

"Yeah." Brock said. "You almost drowned! I had to give you CPR!"

"O-oh… Thanks."

"Don't mention it!"

"Well, now that we're all alive, we'll take that Pikachu of yours!" Jessie yelled.

"Hey, what?" Ash asked. "No way!"

"Guys, are you really going to start fighting _now_?" Misty screamed.

Ash, Brock, Jessie and James released their Pokémon, feeling completely prepared to fight.

"Guys, what's more important? Our lives, or your jobs?"

Suddenly, the weight of the Pokémon began to tip the ship over. It was resting on a rock at the moment, and the un-even weight was about to push it off!

"Get to the other side!" Jessie yelled, running across the hall. Everyone followed, but now the ship was tipping the _other _way. Well, this wasn't going very well.

"Other side!" Ash yelled, running down the hallway again. The ship tilted with the weight, and was now becoming a very dangerous seesaw.

"Put all your Pokémon back!" Misty instructed. Everyone did as they were told, and the ship finally evened out. "All of you; shake hands! We need to work together until we get out of here!"

After a few seconds of glaring at each other, Team Rocket finally shook hands with Ash and Brock.

"Alright, now first thing we have to do is go up." Misty said.

"Down, actually." Ash muttered.

"Up, Ash."

"We're going to the _bottom_ of the ship, Misty!"

"But the ship is upside down, so we're going UP!"

"But it's the _bottom_!"

"Just shut up, will you?"

"It doesn't matter… The stairways are upside down, we can't go up…" Konan said, pointing up at an open door.

"No problem! Go, Onix!"

"W-what? Don't send out Onix, it'll tip the ship over again!" Konan yelled.

Apparently, Onix didn't weigh enough to tip the ship, which completely defies all logic.

"Onix, make a staircase so we can get through that door!"

The group climbed up Onix's back, and found themselves standing on a rather small platform over a large pit of fiery death.

"What now?" Ash asked.

Misty looked across the room to see another door.

"We have to get over there."

"How? We can't walk there. We can't go down, either. The ship is on fire!"

"We'd have to make a bridge." Itachi said.

"Great idea!" Ash yelled, releasing Bulbasaur. "Bulbasaur, use your vines to make a bridge!"

"_Bulba!"_

Konan decided that there was no point in walking across when she could fly.

"Everybody, return."

After everyone was safely inside their pokéballs, Konan changed into Pokémon form, and split into hundreds of sheets of paper.

"Wow…" Misty muttered, watching them flutter across. "That's amazing."

"I'll go across first." Itachi offered, quickly walking across Bulbasaur's makeshift bridge.

Ash, Misty, and Brock went across after Itachi, leaving Team Rocket and Deidara on the other side.

"Come on, you guys! It's not so hard!" Misty said.

To be quite honest, Deidara didn't really want to walk across. Unfortunately, he couldn't fly, due to his lack of clay. It wasn't the fire or the height that worried him. It was the fact that he would be putting all of his weight onto such a small Pokémon's vines. Bulbasaur didn't quite look like it could handle 112 pounds.

"Are you scared?" Ash asked.

"What? No way, un! I've been worse situations!"

"Really? Like what?"

"There's too many to tell you."

"Can you tell me _one_?"

"How about fighting a Kazekage who also happens to be a Jinjuriki?"

"…A Kaze-what? What's a… jin…kiki?"

"Jinjuriki!"

"Deidara, you've never fought the Kazekage!" Konan yelled.

"Yes I have!"

"When? We've never even been to Suna!"

"Will you shut up and walk across already?" Misty yelled.

"What's a Kazekage, though?" Ash continued.

"The leader of Suna." Deidara said, beginning to step onto Bulbasaur's vines.

"Is he a Pokémon trainer?"

"I don't know."

"If you fought him, how do you not know?"

"It was a long time ago, okay?"

Ash stood in silence as Deidara made his way across. To his surprise, Bulbasaur seemed completely fine with the weight.

"So, how old were you when you fought this guy?"

"The same age as I am now." Deidara muttered, finally reaching the other side.

"Then how was it a long time ago?"

"It's a long story! Stop asking questions!"

"How old are you, anyway?" Ash asked.

"Nineteen."

"And you _just_ started your Pokémon journey?"

"So?"

"I'm only ten, and I started!"

"Maybe I didn't feel like it, un!"

When Team Rocket finally made it across, the found that they were almost to the bottom of the ship. Just a few more staircases, none of which were blocked or otherwise impassable.

"Seriously, when _did_ you fight the Kazekage?" Konan asked.

"Will you stop asking me that?"

Deidara paused when Ash jumped in front of him, and came uncomfortably close. He stood his ground, thinking that Ash was trying to intimidate him somehow.

"Nineteen, huh?"

"…What about it…?"

"If I'm ten, and you're nineteen, how come I'm only a few inches shorter than you?"

"W-what?"

"He's got a point." Konan muttered.

"Shut up!" Deidara yelled. "I could kill you if I wanted to, Ash!"

"You've got a big mouth, but I bet you're all talk."

"Don't provoke me!"

"Really, don't." Konan said. "He's a hothead."

"What'd you say, un?"

"Alright… does everyone have a water-type Pokémon?" Misty asked, ignoring the fight.

"Yes." Konan said.

"No." Everyone else answered.

"I'm sure Wartortle can carry three people." Konan said, looking at Deidara and Itachi. Deidara was about to point out the flaws to this idea, but then realized that considering Bulbasaur could handle so many people, Wartortle should be able to, too.

"Hey, what about us?" James asked.

"Don't leave us here!" Jessie begged.

"Wait, I have Magikarp!" James said, releasing the fish.

"You… where did you get that?" Konan asked.

"I bought it!"

"How much?"

"Three hundred dollars!"

Konan couldn't help but laugh at James. How stupid was he? Buying t_hat_ for three hundred dollars?

"Alright… Go, Charmander! Burn a hole in the ceiling so we can get out of here!" Ash instructed. Charmander quickly cut a large rectangular piece out of the ceiling, and returned to his Pokéball. Water came gushing in, and Ash, Misty, and Brock quickly swam up and out with the help of Squirtle and Goldeen. Wartortle took a few seconds to take off, but did manage to carry the three ninja.

* * *

"Hey… Hey, is everyone alright?" Misty asked.

"I… Think so." Ash muttered.

"I'd be fine if we weren't in the middle of nowhere, un." Deidara muttered, looking around the open sea.

The group had found a large piece of wood to use as a raft, and was now trying to figure out where they were.

"Hey, where's Team Rocket?" Ash asked.

"…They're still down there…" Brock muttered.

"N-no… That's terrible." Misty whispered.

"Not even Team Rocket deserved that." Ash said.

After a few seconds of mourning, Team Rocket floated to the surface, but didn't appear to be alive. Ash and Brock pulled them aboard, but couldn't revive them.

"They're… dead?" Konan asked.

"All we can do now is give them a proper sea burial." Brock muttered, standing up.

At the sound of that, Team Rocket jumped up.

"You're not getting rid of us that easily!" Jessie yelled.

"Oh, you're alive."

"How dare you try and give us a burial?"

"And this stupid fish! It can't even swim!" James yelled, kicking Magikarp into the sea. Magikarp struggled to stay afloat, and began to glow.

"What's going on?" James asked.

"…Don't tell me it's…" Konan muttered.

"What?"

"Evolving…" Brock finished, watching Magikarp change into the fearsome sea monster.

"James, you shouldn't have done that." Jessie said, noticing the angry face on Gyarados.

It roared, and about ten more Gyarados popped out of the ocean.

"What's it doing?" Deidara asked.

"Dragon rage…" Misty muttered.

"What's that?"

"… No sailor has ever escaped it…"

The Gyarados began to swim in a circle, to create a large watery cyclone.

Misty grabbed Ash and Brock's hands.

"Don't let go, whatever you do!" She yelled, bracing herself.

Deidara was so distracted by the cyclone that he didn't notice Itachi and Konan come up beside him. He finally realized they were there when Itachi grabbed his hand.

"What are you doing?" Deidara asked, trying to pull his hand away.

"We'll be split up if we don't stick together."

As uncomfortable as Deidara felt holding Itachi's hand, he decided he'd allow it. Just until they were safely back on the ground.

"Don't let go!" Misty screamed, suddenly being lifted up by the cyclone. Moments later, it seemed as if everyone had been sucked up, and was now headed for a terrifying ride thanks to Dragon Rage.

* * *

A/N: So, today I found out that Naruto: Shippuden will be put on the Disney XD channel. I also found out that Deidara is nineteen, about 112 pounds, and 5 ft 5 inches tall. It made me laugh, because Ash is 10, and 5'2. LOL.


	23. Island of the giant pokemon

A/N: Holy crap. In the episode this chapter is based off of, the Pokémon SPOKE. (Well, more like 'pika pika' with English subtitles. But, still.) This was_**so**_ fun to write. I'm making more chapters like this at some point.

* * *

"…Huh… The beach? How did we end up… on the beach?"

"Ash…? Is that you?"

"Misty?"

The cyclone was gone, and the sun was shining quite brilliantly. The group found themselves lying on a beach.

"Is everyone okay?"

"I think so…" Konan muttered.

"Where are we, un?" Deidara asked.

"A beach." Itachi said.

"Yeah, I got that part."

"H-hey! I only have two of my Pokémon! Where's Pikachu?" Ash screamed.

Everyone else checked their belts, only to find that most of their Pokémon were gone, too.

"I- I only have one!" Konan said. "And my bag! It's gone!"

"I'm missing one of mine…" Deidara muttered. "I have two Pokémon left."

"I have one of mine… I only brought two of my Pokémon on that cruise." Itachi said. "The rest are with the professor."

"I hope they're okay…"

* * *

"Ash? Misty? Brock?"

Pikachu dashed across the sand, searching for his trainer. He stopped when he spotted some pokéballs.

"Hey… These are Ash's pokéballs… Everyone, come out!" Pikachu yelled, releasing them. "Is everyone okay?"

"…I've been better…" Squirtle muttered, rubbing his head.

"I'm alright." Bulbasaur said.

"I think I'm okay." Charmander groaned.

"Where are we?" Bulbasaur asked.

"I don't know…" Pikachu admitted.

"Where's Ash?"

"I don't know."

"…Hey, what's that?" Squirtle asked, pointing at something a few feet away.

The Pokémon went over to investigate, discovering even more pokéballs.

"Who do these belong to?" Bulbasaur asked.

"Let's find out." Pikachu suggested, hitting the center buttons.

After hitting all the buttons, it was clear that Deidara, Itachi, and Konan had lost their Pokémon, too.

"Hey, are you guys okay?" Pikachu asked.

"What…? Where are we?" Yahiko asked.

"We don't know." Squirtle said.

"What? What do you mean you don't know?" Eevee yelled. "Where are our trainers?"

"Calm down, I'm sure we'll find them." Butterfree said.

"Wait, what if they got hurt?" Eevee asked.

"I'm sure they're fine." Nagato told her.

"You don't know that!"

"Maybe they're dead!" Tobi laughed.

"That's not funny!" Raichu yelled.

"What if they are?" Eevee screeched.

"What could've possibly hurt them?" Nagato asked. "They seem like they can handle themselves."

"Oh, this is terrible!" Eevee continued. "What if… what if they fell in the ocean and drowned?"

"They didn't drown." Yahiko said.

"How do _you_ know?"

"It seems unlikely."

"How does it seem unlikely?" Tobi asked. "We were in the middle of the ocean when that thing sucked them up. They could be anywhere, and that includes rotting at the bottom of the sea!"

"Stop being so pessimistic."

"Oh god, he's right! They're dead! Deidara's dead!" Eevee cried, dropping to the ground.

"See what you did?" Raichu asked. "You made the poor girl cry."

"We're not going to get anything done if we just stand here. I'm sure your trainer is fine…" Pikachu said. "We should go look for them!"

"This island is huge! We can't search the whole thing!" Bulbasaur pointed out.

"It might help if we find out where we are." Nagato said.

"Yeah… Hey, let's ask _that_ thing!" Squirtle suggested, pointing at a nearby Pokémon.

The group walked up to the strange Pokémon, which was sitting on a rock. It was a fat pink Pokémon, with a white-tipped tail, and curly ears.

"What is it?" Tobi asked.

"Sloooooow…"

"Hey, could you tell us where we are?" Pikachu asked.

"…."

"Hello?"

"…"

"Can you hear us?"

"…"

Yahiko waved his hand in front of the Pokémon's face, only to be completely ignored. The Pokémon yawned and stuck its tail in the ocean.

"Maybe… We should just look around by ourselves." Butterfree suggested.

* * *

"James! We're alive! We survived! You know what that means, don't you?"

"I sure do, Jessie!"

"We really are invincible!" They yelled, embracing each other.

"But, where are we?" James asked.

"I don't know, but we need to get out."

"Hey, look!" James looked, pointing behind Jessie. "A phone booth!"

"A phone booth? Here? Well, what luck! Let's go!"

"Jessie, we don't have any money."

"…Nevermind… Go, eka- Hey! The Pokéball with my Ekans is gone!""

"So is my Koffing!"

"And where's Meowth?"

"Oh god, our Pokémon are gone, Jessie!"

"No, we have to find them! Let's go!"

* * *

"Ash!"

"Misty!"

"Brock!"

"Konan!"

"Deidara!"

"Itachi!"

"Helloooooooo?"

"Maybe they got eaten by giant Pokémon!" Squirtle laughed.

"What if they did?" Eevee screeched.

"I was just kidding…" Squirtle muttered.

"Oh my god, what if they did?"

"I'm sure that they wouldn't be eaten." Yahiko said.

"Yeah!" Tobi agreed. "Deidara-senpai would blow the Pokémon's stomach open!"

"That's true…" Eevee sighed, feeling a little better.

"It's getting kind of dark, guys." Butterfree muttered. "Maybe we should stop for the night."

"It'll be easier to search in the morning…" Raichu agreed.

"I guess we just have to find somewhere to stay." Pikachu said.

_"Alright, Pikachu! I've got you now!"_

"Huh? What's going on?" Bulbasaur asked.

"Team rocket blast off at the speed of light, surrender now or prepare to fight!" Meowth yelled, jumping out of the bushes.

"Oh, it's just Meowth." Pikachu sighed.

"Just Me-owth, huh? Ekans, Koffing, come get them!"

Everyone looked up at a nearby ledge to see Ekans and Koffing, who showed no sign of moving.

"Come on guys, help Me-owth fight!"

"You're not my master." Ekans hissed.

"Not master." Koffing agreed.

"'Master'? I'm smarter than those two boneheads you're callin' 'master'!"

"I only obey my master." Ekans said.

"Only master!"

"We're all bad guys here, right? We don't need our masters to tell us to do bad things!"

"I'm not 'bad'." Ekans said. "I only do bad things because master tells me too…"

"Not bad… Not… evil." Koffing agreed.

"What? You're sayin' that there's no such thing as a 'bad' Pokémon? It's only 'cuz your master tells ya to do bad stuff?"

Ekans and Koffing nodded.

"Well, what's dat say about me-owth? I don't have a master, and I act like a rat anyways…" Meowth muttered.

"Well, it's up to you, Meowth." Pikachu said. "Do you really want to fight a_ll _of us?"

"No fair, you've got me out-numbered! Ekans, Koffing! Come on!"

"No."

* * *

"Ash, it really is getting dark. We should stop for the night." Brock said.

"No! Not until we find Pikachu!"

"_SKREEEEE!"_

Lightning flew across the sky, just missing everyone's heads.

"What was that?" Konan yelled.

"_SKREEEEEEEEEE!"_

A huge bird flew over them, electricity seemed to emit from its wings.

"An electric… flying type?" Ash asked.

"Ash, this is getting dangerous! That thing almost hit us!" Misty said.

"There's a cave over there, Ash… we have to stop for the night. We'll keep looking in the morning!"

"…Fine…"

* * *

"So, what happened to you guys?" Pikachu asked.

"We were in master's pokéballs… then, when we came out… masters gone…" Koffing muttered.

"I bet I know what happened." Bulbasaur growled.

"Yeah? Well, what is it?" Butterfree asked.

"They abandoned us."

"A-abandoned?" Ekans squeaked. "Jessie… abandoned me?"

"James! No! Master wouldn't…"

"Humans shouldn't be trusted." Bulbasaur continued.

"That's not true!" Butterfree yelled. "Konan wouldn't do that to us!"

"I don't think she'd just leave us here." Yahiko agreed.

"You're too easy to fool." Bulbasaur said. "No matter how nice Konan was, she probably abandoned you."

"She's the last person who would do that." Nagato growled.

"Itachi wouldn't leave me here, either." Raichu said. "Not after that badge I got for him."

"Deidara, on the other hand, probably _would_ abandon us." Yahiko muttered.

"No he wouldn't!" Eevee argued.

"I bet Konan _and_ Deidara are looking for us right now!" Butterfree yelled.

"Definitely. They wouldn't abandon a couple of pretty ladies like you." Raichu said.

"Kiss up…" Eevee muttered.

"It's not kissing up if it's true." Raichu retorted.

"That's so sweet, Raichu!" Butterfree yelled. "And you're right, Konan and Deidara _will_ come!"

"She's right." Nagato said. "They'll find us."

"I bet those two are… in the middle of the forest, like we are! I bet they've started a fire, and… And I bet they're going to stop for the night." Butterfree muttered.

"Probably." Raichu said. "It _is_ dark."

"…It's so romantic…" Butterfree sighed.

"Ew, romantic?" Tobi yelled. "Those two?"

"No way!" Eevee screamed. "Never in a million years!"

"Deidara's too wild for her." Yahiko said.

"Exactly." Eevee agreed. "He's too wild… and… sooooo sexy…"

"Stop drooling." Butterfree said.

"Sexy? He's a human. You know that, don't you?" Nagato asked.

"Those abs… and that hair!"

"No offence, but I thought he was a girl when I saw him." Raichu muttered.

"W-what?"

"Well, between the hair and the belly-shirt and fishnet… he looked like a woman."

"He doesn't have boobs!"

"Yeah, I thought he was a _really flat_ girl."

"You're messed up."

"Says the one who finds him sexy." Yahiko sighed.

"He's so… smart! And hot! And-"

"Smart is hardly a word I'd use, but okay."

"Are you calling him stupid?"

"What if I am?" Yahiko teased.

"Shut up! I'll rip your face off!"

"Eevee, stop being rude!" Butterfree yelled.

"Like you could."

"Okay, let's calm down and-" Nagato started.

"Deidara's stronger than you are!" Eevee hissed.

"I could take him in a fight." Yahiko argued.

"Wanna bet?"

"Alright… If I win, you have to stop drooling over him."

"Yeah, good luck with that." Butterfree muttered.

"And if I win, you have to help me get him."

"Get… him?"

"You know what I mean."

"What the hell do you want me to do? Slip something in his drink?"

"Whatever works."

"You're sick."

"Hey, whoa! What do you think I'm trying to do?" Eevee yelled. "I didn't say I wanted to do _that_!"

"Maybe you should phrase your requests better." Nagato said. "That did sound kind of… sketchy."

"HEY! Are you guys gonna keep talkin' or are you gonna get me-owth some food?" Meowth yelled. He was currently tied to a tree, and therefore, did not have any food. The rest of the Pokémon at least had a small plate of berries, or something edible.

"Are you sorry for everything you've done to us?" Squirtle asked.

"NO!"

"Then no food for you!" Squirtle laughed, shoving an apple in his mouth.

"Why, you little-!"

"_Rhhhhhhyyyyyyyyy!"_

A huge Pokémon roared in the distance, standing on its hind legs. It turned toward the lost Pokémon, and began to walk toward them.

"What is that thing?" Meowth yelled.

"I dunno, but I don't wanna find out!" Tobi yelled, running off into the forest. The rest of the Pokémon followed him, leaving Meowth tied to the tree.

"Hey! Wait! What about me-owth?"

Pikachu dashed back to Meowth and untied him.

"Huh? Pikachu, I could've gotten it myself." Meowth muttered, following the rest of the Pokémon. Pikachu sighed, and wondered if he should've left Meowth there.

"Maybe they really _did_ get eaten!" Squirtle yelled. "That thing is huge!"

"He's got a point!" Nagato said. "What if that thing killed them!"

"They're not dead, Nagato." Yahiko growled.

"But they couldn't handle that thing! It's gigantic! What if they're dead? What would we do?"

"They're not dead!"

"But what if they are?"

"Damn it, Nagato!" Yahiko screamed, grabbing his collar. "They're not dead! They're alive! Got that?"

"How do you know?"

"If you start crying, I swear I'll knock you out!"

"I'm not crying, you asshole!"

Suddenly, something caught Yahiko's eye. It was a bright red bag that was stuck on a tree branch.

"Is that Konan's bag?"

"I think so." Nagato muttered, looking up at it.

"I'll get it!" Raichu offered, bounding up the tree. He pushed the bag down, and then continued following the group.

"Hey, your egg is in here." Yahiko said, pulling it out.

"You laid that egg?" Squirtle asked.

Yahiko and Nagato stared at Squirtle, wondering why it would possibly ask something so stupid.

"Yes, Squirtle. Nagato – a male Pokémon – laid this egg." Yahiko sighed.

"Really? It's kinda big. How the heck did you…?"

At this point, all of the Pokémon in the group was staring at Squirtle.

"What? It's a valid question!"

"…Let's keep going…" Nagato groaned, wanting to avoid more of this awkward conversation.

* * *

The next morning:

"Well, James… we have no choice. We have to use this phone." Jessie said, opening the door to the booth.

"Jessie, we're broke."

"There's one number we can _always_ call, even if we're broke."

"What number is that?"

"Hello, boss!"

"The boss?" James yelled.

"_You two better have a damn good reason for calling me this early!"_

"Of course, sir! But first, we have to do the motto!"

"_What?"_

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the sta-"

"_It's too early for this bullshit! Don't ever call me for something like this again!" _The boss screamed, slamming down the phone.

"He… hung up?"

"Well… James, this telephone wire has to lead somewhere." Jessie said.

"Let's find out!"

The two of them lifted up the wire that spread across the land, and began to follow it. Certainly they'd find an operator or something, right?

* * *

"Hey… Hey, get up!" Pikachu yelled. "It's morning!"

"Morning?" Ekans yawned, lifting its head.

"Yeah, and look at that thing!" Pikachu said, pointing up at another giant Pokémon.

"Hey, that's a Blastoise! That's Squirtle's evolved form!" Meowth told the group.

"Go talk to it, Squirtle!" Bulbasaur suggested.

"Um… alright." Squirtle muttered, walking toward its evolved brethren.

"Good luck!" Tobi laughed.

"H-hey! HEY! Hi up there!" Squirtle yelled. Blastoise turned to look at Squirtle.

"Um… Nice weather we're having!"

Blastoise glared at Squirtle, and aimed its water cannon at it.

"Okay, run!" Squirtle screamed, fleeing the area.

* * *

"Hey… James, is that Pikachu? Jessie asked, pointing off into the distance.

"It looks like it!"

"This is perfect! It doesn't even see us in here! Let's catch it!"

Jessie and James jumped out of the booth.

"Alright, Pikachu! Come to Team Rocket!"

The Pikachu took a few more steps, growing in size.

"Jessie, that Pikachu is gigantic!" James screamed, pointing at its face.

"Okay, never mind! Run!" Jessie yelled, dodging the Pikachu's dangerous foot. They ran behind Pikachu, making sure they would be running off in a different direction. Unfortunately, this caused them to run right into a giant Kabutops. It began to follow them.

"Now what, Jessie?"

"Look up ahead!" Jessie yelled, pointing at an old mining cart. "Let's get in that!"

Jessie and James leaped into the cart, and pulled the handle. The cart jiggled, before taking off in the wrong direction.

"Don't tell me…" James muttered.

"We're going backwards!" Jessie screamed.

The cart flew between the Kabutops legs. Unfortunately, the cart seemed to have a large cable attached to it. It looped around Kabutop's foot, and began to drag it along with the cart.

"James, hit the brakes!"

"Right!"

James yanked on the handle again, only to snap it in half.

"Great…"

"Run-away cart!"

* * *

"Ash, where do you think they could be?" Misty asked.

"I don't know… We just gotta keep looking, Misty…"

"Hey, is that Pikachu?" Brock asked, pointing into the distance.

"Huh? Hey, Pikachu!"

Sadly, this wasn't Ash's Pikachu. It was the same Pikachu James and Jessie had just managed to avoid. Ash, Brock and Misty were currently standing on a large stone bridge that was just above the mine cart tracks.

"Hey, what's that dust behind Pikachu?" Ash asked.

"It looks like it's headed this way." Konan said.

"That's not a good sign, un."

The dust was in fact the debris that Kabutops was pushing up as it was dragged across the landscape. Kabutops knocked right into the giant Pikachu, and began to drag it along, too.

"Ash, I think something's wrong…" Brock muttered.

"RUN-AWAY CART!" Team Rocket screamed.

"Run for it!" Misty yelled, noticing that Kabutops and Pikachu were headed straight for the bridge. The giant Pokémon slammed into the bridge before they could evacuate, knocking them down into the mine cart.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Team Rocket yelled.

"Same thing you are!" Misty retorted.

"Hand over Pikachu!"

"I don't have him!" Ash growled.

"PIIIIIKKKKAAAAA!"

"Huh?"

Ash looked over to see his own Pikachu fleeing from a giant Blastoise, Venusaur, and Charizard. Actually, Pikachu wasn't the only one running. _All_ of the missing Pokémon were trying not to be stepped on.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled.

"Pi-Pikachu!"

"Hey, look! They're alive!" Tobi yelled.

"I knew they'd be okay!" Eevee squealed.

"Yeah, you never doubted that." Raichu sighed, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Hey, where are our pokéballs?" Nagato asked.

"I put them in Konan's bag, along with your egg."

"Give them to her! Then we can all just get back in our pokéballs, and not be crushed!"

Yahiko threw Konan's bag with all his strength, and sighed in relief when she caught it. Konan handed back everyone's pokéballs.

"Everybody, return!"

Pikachu, Meowth, Ekans and Koffing avoided the pokéballs, and chose to jump into their trainer's arms instead.

"Hey, we made it!" Meowth yelled.

"Pi-Pikachu!"

"Pikachu, you're okay!"

"Okay, so now we need to stop this thing." Itachi said.

"The brakes are broken." James said.

"What, un?"

"Given our recent experiences, I'd say that the cable dragging all those giant Pokémon with us should snap right about now." Jesse said.

Right as she finished, the cable snapped, leaving the giant Pokémon in a large motionless heap.

Well, we're probably going to be thrown into the air next!" Jessie laughed.

She was right. The cart hit a bump, which sent it flying into the sky.

"Now we'll probably hit something."

Ash turned around to see the large electric flying type that had nearly killed them the previous evening. They flew through its wing, sending springs, bolts, and screws into the air.

"It was mechanical?" Brock asked.

Indeed. It was a mechanical Zapdos. It spiraled down into the pile of other giant Pokémon, and caused a large explosion.

"Finally, we'll probably fly into the water." James said.

_Splash!_

* * *

"Welcome to Pokémon world! Here, you'll be able to see models of real Pokémon that are about ten times larger than their natural size!"

"_Wow!"_

"_Yeah!"_

"_Cool!"_

The tour guide looked out of the bus window to see a large pile of broken Pokémon.

"Um… we're sorry, but our Pokémon are… temporarily out of service."

* * *

_Ring! Ring!_

"Hello? ... WHAT? Pokémon land has been destroyed? No, I spent millions on that! Ugh! This is an outrage!"

_Beep!_

"Hold on, the other line is beeping… Hello?"

"Hello, boss."

"Orochimaru… for your sake, this better be good news!"

"Nothing but! Butch and Cassidy have delivered the Pokémon."

"Ah, yes… Do you think it's within your capabilities?"

"Of course… give it a few weeks, and this Pokémon will be the strongest one in existence."

"Excellent… One Pein is powerful, but if this 'curse stone' really works… just think of the possibilities…"

"Yes… So much power."

"Call me when it's ready."

"Of course."

* * *

A/N: Well, that was possibly the most fun I've ever had writing a chapter. I'm doing this 'talking Pokémon' stuff more often.


	24. Porta Vista vacation

I have no idea how everybody got from crashing into the ocean, to some random town. Don't ask me; ask whoever wrote for the anime. I assume they were rescued by the tour boat near Pokémon Land.

Oh, and I'm kind of assuming that the Akatsuki is capable of walking on water like the rest of the ninja. I don't recall seeing any of them do it, but… Well, come on.

I also assume that Konan is strong enough to lift Brock. (While in Pokémon form, anyway.)

* * *

"Wow, look! A beach!" Misty said.

"_Pika!"_

"This is Porta Vista, isn't it?" Konan asked.

"Yeah! This place is supposed to have a lot of resorts and things! The water is just beautiful, look at it!"

"Alright, this is just what we need! A tropical vacation!" Ash laughed.

"We can go get your next badge after!" Misty suggested.

* * *

"C'mon in Brock, the water's great!"

"Alright, Ash!"

"_Pi-Pikachu!"_

"Hey, should we let our Pokémon out, too?" Misty asked.

"Yeah! Come out, everybody!"

Deidara and Itachi followed the crowd and released their Pokémon, who looked quite happy to be in the sand.

"Hey, where's Konan, un?"

"She said something about getting her bathing suit." Itachi said.

"Oh."

Itachi was right. A few moments later, Konan joined the group, wearing a bikini. In any other kind of story, this would be the part where all the men are stunned into silence by her new look. However, Konan's outfit was so revealing in the first place, that a bathing suit hardly seemed like a change.

"Oh, are we letting our Pokémon out?"

"Yeah."

Konan released her Pokémon, and put the pokéballs back in her bag.

"_Another beach?"_ Butterfree asked.

"_At least this one is in a town." _Tobi pointed out.

"_True."_

The Pokémon looked back at their trainers just to make sure they were still there. Honestly, they didn't feel very safe on a beach after their recent experience.

"Well, go on. Go have fun; we're on vacation for a while." Konan said. The Pokémon smiled and decided that it would be nice to take a break.

"I'm going in the water. You guys coming in?" Misty asked.

"It's great, you guys! Seriously!" Ash yelled.

Konan changed into her Pokémon form, and began to walk across the ocean.

"She's… walking on the water?" Brock asked.

"How's she doing that?"

Itachi and Deidara followed Konan; somewhat enjoying the Pokémon trainer's confused expressions.

"How do you guys do that?" Misty asked.

"Deidara, you probably shouldn't be out here, you know." Konan said.

"Why?"

"You're a ground type. You should at least get out of Pokémon form."

"What does being a ground type got to do with this?"

"It's water. Water hurts ground types."

Deidara ignored her, letting the chakra disappear from his feet. He dropped down into the water, only to be greeted by a terrible burning feeling. Itachi pulled him back up, glaring at him.

"Didn't you listen?"

"You really are the most stubborn person I know." Konan sighed, pressing the button on his Pokéformer.

"Ow…"

"Yeah. Don't do that."

"Itachi's a fire type… He'll get hurt, too!"

"I wasn't planning on going in."

Deidara spent a few seconds trying to recover from the water. After feeling better, he dropped in again. Because he was in human form, the water seemed a lot less painful. While he was busy doing that, Brock swam over.

"Shinobi can walk on water?"

"Of course. It's not hard." Konan said.

"How?"

Konan pulled Brock up out of the water, and held him above the water.

"Chakra. You kind of… put a cushion of chakra between your feet and the water.

"Wow."

Konan put Brock back down, setting his feet on top of hers. He stood there for a few seconds, amazed that he was really standing on water. Then, he became distracted by the fact that he was so close to a woman. And her breasts.

* * *

"That's sickening…" Butterfree muttered.

"You're just in denial." Eevee sighed.

"Look at him, ogling at her!"

"Get over it."

"It is… kind of creepy." Nidoran muttered.

"You can't stop true love."

"True love?" Butterfree yelled. "You call _that_ true love?"

"You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" Eevee asked.

"Why you little-!"

"Would you two shut up for _five minutes_?" Mankey yelled. "How is anybody supposed to relax with you two fighting the whole time?"

"Stop eavesdropping." Eevee growled.

"I wouldn't be listening to you if you weren't so freakin' loud."

"Then move."

"Why should I move just because you two are having a stupid argument?"

"It's not that hard to ignore them." Yahiko muttered.

"Or at least pretend to ignore them." Nagato added.

The group was so busy arguing that none of them noticed Deidara get out of the water. They finally looked up when he came closer, and laid down next to them. Eevee practically melted, unable to take her eyes off of him.

"Well, look who it is!"

Deidara sat up and looked over to see Jiraiya, who was walking toward him.

"Jiraiya!" Konan yelled, dropping Brock in the water. She dashed across the waves, and on to the beach.

"Hey, you guys got pretty far, already at Porta Vista!" Jiraiya said. "How many badges do you have?"

"Three. Both of us."

"Well, sounds like you're making great progress."

"Thanks!"

"Taking a vacation here, are you?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, who's this?" Ash asked, coming out of the water.

"Huh? Oh, Jiraiya, this is Ash. That's Misty, and that's Brock."

"Nice to meet you!" Misty said.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Konan asked.

"Well, the Porta Vista beauty pageant is coming up."

"Research?" Konan sighed.

"That's my girl!"

"Research for what?" Brock asked.

"For my books!"

"You write books?"

"Extra money on the side. Being a professor doesn't pay as much as you'd think."

"What do you write about?"

Jiraiya smiled and handed Brock a book. Deidara, Nagato, Ash, Itachi and Yahiko gathered around him to read.

"T-this is… BRILLIANT!" Brock yelled. Itachi stood back up, and went to join Konan and Misty.

The rest of the boys sided with Brock, turning the page to read on.

"You guys are disgusting." Konan muttered.

"Agreed." Itachi said.

"What's it about?" Misty asked.

"You don't want to know."

"Oh, Konan and Itachi. You just can't appreciate the artistic beauty of my books."

"I wouldn't call it art, but it's… it's something." Deidara said.

"It's disgusting…"

"Well, you can keep that book if you want, Brock." Jiraiya said.

"Really?"

"I've got plenty."

"THANK YOU!"

Deidara sighed and went back down on his towel. Eevee climbed on top of him, and sat on his stomach.

"…Can I help you, un…?"

Eevee ignored him, and wondered why he had stitches on his chest. She crawled closer, sniffing the stitches. Deidara ignored her until she began to pick at them.

"Hey, stop that!"

Eevee bit down on the stitches, and began to pull them out.

"HEY!"

Konan ran over, and began to pull Eevee off. Unfortunately, she wouldn't let go of the stitches. They finally broke, leaving Deidara's fourth mouth unrestrained. It opened, and stuck its tongue out. Eevee jumped out of Konan's arms, and sprinted across the beach.

"Where's she going?" Deidara asked, closing the mouth.

"I don't know."

Nagato and Yahiko followed her, smiling at how scared she looked.

* * *

"Eevee?" Yahiko asked.

"DON'T EAT ME!"

"I wouldn't if you paid me."

"Oh… it's just you…"

"Are you alright?" Nagato asked.

"I… I think so."

"Well, come on. Let's go back."

"No! It'll eat me!"

"No he won't."

"But… that mouth was huge!"

"It's your fault for opening it in the first place." Yahiko pointed out.

"But-"

"Come on." Nagato interrupted, picking Eevee up.

* * *

"Hold still!"

"Then stop jabbing me with that thing!"

"I kind of have to jab you if I'm going to give you stitches, stupid."

"I have an idea." Jiraiya said.

"What?"

"Konan, where is your Butterfree?"

"Butterfree, come here!"

Butterfree flew into the room, wondering why she was needed.

"Butterfree, use stun spore." Jiraiya said.

"Hey, what?" Deidara yelled.

"_Freee!"_

Deidara was about to yell at Jiraiya, but Butterfree was fast. He was paralyzed before he could say anything else.

"There you go." Jiraiya said.

"Um…Thanks…" Konan muttered, finally able to work in peace.

* * *

"Sasuke? Where are you going?"

"Sakura, why are you still up?"

"I should be asking you the same thing." Sakura-chan retorted.

"…Go back to sleep…" Sasuke-kun sighed.

"Tell me where you're going."

"Out."

"Sasuke, come on!"

"I'm going to find Itachi."

"And do what?"

"Kill him."

"Get back inside. Stop being ridiculous."

"Don't tell me what to do." Sasuke-kun growled.

"You really plan on leaving me here?"

"I'll be back."

"Yeah, how long will that take?"

"…I don't know…"

"Exactly. If you're leaving, I'm going with you." Sakura said.

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"Sakura, it's dangerous."

"When has that stopped me?"

"You don't know what you're up against."

"I don't care."

"Who will watch over the Pokémon center?"

"When was the last time something _bad_ happened here?" Sakura-chan asked.

"…"

"That's right. Never. It'll be fine. Nurse Joy can take care of this place."

"The kids?"

"They're leaving with a few trainers soon. They won't be here for long."

"Please stay here, Sakura." Sasuke-kun begged.

"Then don't leave, Sasuke."

"I have to go! Itachi almost wiped out the Uchihas; he can't get away with it!"

"You don't know that, you didn't see the whole thing."

"I watched him stab my brother." Sasuke said, gritting his teeth. "I saw the fire."

"How do you know he started the fire?"

"What other Pokémon knows Sacred Fire, Sakura?"

"One of the legendary bi-"

"You really think one of the great bird Pokémon tried to wipe out a whole species?"

"Do you really think _Itachi_ tried to wipe out a whole species?" Sakura-chan retorted.

"Stop defending him, damn it!" Sasuke yelled. "Stay out of this!"

"I just don't want you to get hurt…"

"I won't. Itachi will."

"And I'm not allowed to help? What if you need help?"

"I won't need help."

"What if you get hurt? What if you're not near a Pokémon center or trainer? If I go with you, I can help."

"Sakura, please-"

"Sasuke-kun? Sakura-chan?"

The two of them looked over to see Nurse Joy.

"Where are you two going?"

"…If I let you come with me… You have to stay out of the battle. It's my fight."

"Fine."

"We'll go through Mt. moon first. They went through there. That's where they caught that Nagato, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then they probably went to Cerulean City."

"Right."

"Let's go."

Sakura-chan waved to Nurse Joy, trying to shake the guilt from her conscience. She was abandoning her duties… But it was for a good cause, right?

* * *

A/N: I feel like this chapter was pretty pointless, I just kind of wanted to have a little vacation chapter.

Anyway, the Sasuke-kun and Sakura-chan were the ones from Cerulean City, where Itachi and Deidara got into that little fight. Sure, they're abandoning their kids, but Itachi's more important… right?


	25. Beauty Pageants and Horseas

A/N: Okay, this is partly based on the episode where James had plastic surgery or something, and therefore had boobs. However, I couldn't find a subbed version, so I have no clue what he said to Misty about his new… things, nor do I know what she said back to him. So, I kinda made that part up.

* * *

"You don't remember anything, do you?" Orochimaru asked.

"_Pei…"_

"The great leader of the Akatsuki reduced to this… An animal."

"So, what do you think it'll be like after it's got that curse stone set in?" Cassidy asked.

"I couldn't tell you. They all look different."

"How long will it take?"

"A few weeks, maybe."

"A few weeks?" Butch yelled.

"Be patient. This isn't your average evolution stone."

"Shut up, Butch. We have other things to do, anyway." Cassidy said.

"Actually, I'd like you to do one more thing for me."

"You're not our boss."

"I'll give you a cut of the money."

"In that case…What is it?"

"I want you to catch a trainer for me."

"A… trainer? Not a Pokémon?"

"I want the trainer _and_ his Pokémon."

"What trainer?"

"I want you to get Uzumaki Naruto."

"Who's that? Butch, have you heard of him?"

"Nope."

"I want him, and his Vulpix."

"Alright, how much will you get paid for this?"

"If my experiments work, it will be revolutionary."

"So, a lot?"

"Probably."

Butch and Cassidy nodded in agreement, and began to walk down the hall to the exit. They couldn't help but stare at some of the strange things in the area, such as jars, Pokémon, and stones.

"Hey, what's that?" Butch asked, stopping near a large tube. Inside appeared to be a large dragonfly.

"It's pretty big."

"_That_ is a Yanmega." Orochimaru answered, noticing their curiosity.

"A what?"

"A Pokémon."

"Doesn't look like a Pokémon I've seen before."

"It's not native to Kanto."

"What's it doing here?" Cassidy asked suspiciously.

"It's… for my experiments."

"Right…"

Butch and Cassidy left the building, and back into their blimp.

"That guy is crazy." Cassidy muttered.

"Who cares? As long as the boss is happy."

"Yeah, but he keeps saying stuff about 'Akatsuki' and 'Jinjuriki'. I just think it's weird."

"It's not our job to question the boss's choice in employees, Cassidy."

* * *

"Damn it! You had no right to paralyze me!" Deidara screamed.

"Hey, you can move again!"

"If you do that again, I'll kill you, un!"

"Well, someone's in a bad mood! This should cheer you up." Jiraiya said, holding up a bag. Deidara glared at Jiraiya, violently taking it from him.

"Clay, un?"

"I figured you'd need some right about now. I know it's hard to find."

"…Where'd you get this…?"

"They have it in the store back home, remember? I know it's hard to find once you leave our hometown. So, I brought you some."

"Thanks… un…"

"Hey, if you ever need more, I can send you some. Just call me and ask."

"Jiraiya, the beauty pageant is going to start soon." Konan said, pushing the door open. Itachi, Ash, Misty, and Brock stood behind her.

"Yeah, come on!" Ash yelled.

"What time is it…? Oh, you're right!"

"Hey, you should enter, Konan." Brock said. "You'd do well."

"_He would say that, wouldn't he?"_ Butterfree muttered under her breath, sitting on a nearby chair.

"_Are you surprised by that?"_ Raichu asked, looking up at her.

"_Oh… It's you, Raichu."_

"_Really, though… are you surprised?"_

"_I guess not…"_

"Thanks, Brock. But, I don't think I-" Konan started.

"Nonsense, you'd do great!" Brock interrupted, grabbing her hands.

"_He better get his hands off of her…" _Butterfree mumbled.

"_Want me to get him off?" _Raichu asked, a wicked smile crossing his face.

"_What are you going to do?"_

"_Hit me."_

"_What?"_

"_Come on, hit me!"_

"_But-"_

"_Come on, I think I can take a hit. It'll get Brock away!"_

"_I'll do it!"_ Eevee offered, jumping up on Butterfree's seat.

"_Eevee, that's mean!"_

"_Go ahead; hit me with your best shot!" _Raichu yelled.

Eevee smiled, and jumped at Raichu. Her tail turned white, and slammed Raichu into the ground.

"…_Rai…"_

"_Eevee, you didn't have to hit him so hard!" _Butterfree screamed.

Raichu looked up and winked, showing that he was okay.

"Eevee, what the heck was that for?" Konan yelled, rushing up to Raichu. "Are you okay?"

"_Raaaaaiiiiiii…._"

"Poor thing…" Konan muttered, picking up Raichu.

"He's faking…" Itachi muttered.

"How can you tell?" Ash asked.

"He wouldn't go down that fast."

"I dunno, that looked like it hurt."

"I think I know my own Pokémon better than you do." Itachi said.

Konan pulled Raichu up to her chest, and walked over to Itachi. Raichu turned and stuck his tongue out at Brock.

"H-hey!"

"What?" Konan asked.

Raichu turned back to Konan, and buried his face in her chest.

"I think we should take him to a Pokémon center." Konan suggested.

"He's fine." Itachi said.

"Besides, there's no Pokémon center around here." Jiraiya told them.

"Oh…"

Raichu turned around, and stuck his tongue out at Brock again.

"I'll teach you to take advantage of women like that!" Brock yelled, taking Raichu.

"_Rai… CHUUUUUU!"_

Brock fell to the ground, feeling the electricity course through his body. Konan picked Raichu back up, and glared at Brock.

"Don't be so mean to him, Brock! He just got hurt!" Konan yelled. Raichu grinned at Brock before nuzzling Konan's neck.

"Itachi, I think your Raichu-" Jiraiya began.

"Is faking." Itachi finished.

"_I'm not sure if I should thank him, or punch him."_ Butterfree growled.

"_Well, he DID get Brock away." _Eevee said.

"_Yeah, but now HE'S being creepy…"_

"Raichu, that's enough." Itachi said.

"_Rai!"_

Raichu jumped out of Konan's arms, and on to Itachi's shoulder.

"Don't do that. It's…"

"Creepy, un?"

"Yes."

"_Rai-Raichu."_

* * *

"Hey, I'm going up to narrate." Brock said.

"Where?" Ash asked.

"Up there, I'm supposed to announce names and things."

"Oh."

"I'm going with you; those are the best seats in the house." Jiraiya said.

"Okay!"

"_Rai-chu!"_

Raichu chased after them, and caught a ride on Jiraiya's shoulder.

"Get back here!" Itachi yelled.

"Well, there's a surprise! A Pokémon that appreciates beautiful women!" Jiraiya laughed.

"_Rai!"_

"Itachi, let him come with us! It'll be fine!" Brock said.

"…Alright…"

Brock took a seat at the microphone, admiring the wonderful view he had of the stage. Jiraiya sat next to him, and put Raichu down on top of one of the speakers.

"So, do you have a list of contestants or something?"

"Right here." Brock said, showing Jiraiya a sheet of paper. "Misty is competing."

"Misty… that girl you're traveling with?"

"Yeah… Oh, hey it's time to start!"

* * *

"Well, Squirtle, Starmie, I think we did well!" Misty said.

"Really? Because I think we'll do better!"

Misty turned around to see Jessie and James. However, James looked… different.

"What are… those?" Misty asked, pointing at his chest.

"Well, you don't have any, so I guess you wouldn't know!" James laughed, shoving his new breasts in her face.

"They're inflatable, too!" Jessie said.

"What?"

James pressed a button, causing his chest to get even _bigger._

"Aren't they great?" James asked.

"Uh-"

Jessie and James laughed, walking out on to the stage.

"What is it with that guy, and cross-dressing, un?" Deidara asked, watching them wave to the crowd.

"What are you talking about?" Konan asked.

"That _guy_! Whenever I see him, he's cross-dressing!"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"How do you not see it, un? It's so obvious!"

Jessie and James went back inside, and another contestant took the stage. It was a guy.

"Hey, is Ash Ketchum in the crowd? You should be, Ash!"

"Ash… You know that guy?" Konan asked.

"GARY!"

"Gary?"

"Gary Oak." Ash said. "He's a jerk!"

"Isn't there a Pokémon Professor named Oak?"

"Yeah, Gary is his grandson."

"Oh."

"Come on, Ash! Stand up, don't be a baby!" Gary laughed.

"Gary!" Ash yelled, jumping out of his seat.

"So, you're here after all! Come on out, girls!"

Six young women came out on to the stage, taking their place around Gary.

"Gary, Gary, He's our man! He stomps Ash because he can! Yay, Gary!"

"That's great! Not one, not two… but SIX beautiful women on stage at once! Th-this is amazing!" Brock yelled.

"I knew it was a good idea to come!" Jiraiya said. "This is gold! This is groundbreaking research!"

"Rai-Raichu!" Raichu agreed, standing up on the speakers.

* * *

"James, we're never going to win the beauty pageant with all those girls on stage!" Jessie whined.

"What do you want to do about it?"

"Let's crash the party, shall we?"

"To the Gyarados Submarine!"

Jessie and James jumped into the ocean, and crawled into their submarine.

"You two are back kinda early, what happened?" Meowth asked.

"Don't ask questions, just drive!" Jessie laughed, leaping into the driver's seat.

"We're going to ruin this beauty pageant!" James told him.

"Ah, okay!"

Team Rocket began to pedal, sending the Gyarados submarine onto the beach. Wheels sprouted from the sides, giving it the ability to travel on the sand.

"_OH MY GOD!"_

"_A Gyarados!"_

"_We're gonna die!"_

"_HOLD ME!"_

"No, wait!" Ash yelled. "It's fake! It's a machine!"

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

Ash watched helplessly as terrified sunbathers ran for their lives. The Gyarados submarine smashed into the stage, successfully interrupting the beauty pageant.

"What the heck is that?" Brock asked.

"A Gyarados?" Jiraiya asked. "It looks kind of short for a Gyarados… It's also much too rigid. Real Gyarados have longer, flexible bodies. "

"Pikachu, use thunderbolt!"

"PIKA-CHUUUUUUU!"

The submarine sparked as wires fried, sending the submarine out of control. It spun around, and drove into a nearby restaurant. The impact caused an explosion, which sent Team Rocket flying into the sky.

"_Team Rocket's blasting off again!"_

* * *

"So… What time does the boat come?" Misty asked.

"Seven…" Ash muttered.

"We've got an hour until our boat gets here, then."

"Yep."

"What are we going to do for an hour?"

"I dunno."

"We could battle." Brock suggested.

"Yeah!" Ash yelled, jumping up at the thought.

"Konan, would you battle me?" Itachi asked.

"Sure!"

* * *

"Alright… Raichu, go."

"_Rai-chu!"_

"Raichu is an electric type… So… Nidoran would be the best choice. Go, Ni-"

"_VEE!"_

Konan was interrupted by Eevee, who jumped in front of her.

"You want to battle, Eevee?"

"Vee!"

Raichu looked rather shocked by his opponent, and looked back at Itachi.

"Raichu… thunderbolt."

Raichu shook his head, and refused to attack.

"What's wrong?" Konan asked.

"Raichu… thunderbolt."

"_Raaaiiiiii."_ Raichu whined.

"Mega punch." Itachi said, thinking that Raichu didn't want to use an electric move.

Raichu sat down, and continued to stare at Itachi.

"_What are you doing?" _Eevee asked. _"This is a battle."_

"_I'm not gonna hit a girl." _Raichu said.

"_W-what? That's the oldest line in the book, don't be a wuss!"_

"_No."_

"_Are you scared?" _Eevee teased.

"_No, but I don't want to hurt you."_

"_That's okay. You couldn't hurt me if you tried."_

"_If you say so."_

"_Raichu, come on! Attack me, it's a battle!"_

"_Nope."_

"Eevee, use Iron Tail!" Konan said.

"_Vee!"_

Eevee charged at Raichu, and her tail turned white. Raichu ducked under her, which sent her flying into Itachi. Itachi pushed her off, and glared at Raichu.

"If you're not going to battle, then return. Go, Beedrill!"

"_Rai._"

Raichu walked off the battlefield, and went to join Jiraiya, who was watching random pedestrians walk by.

"_Rai."_

"Hi, Raichu."

A couple of women walked by, wearing bikinis. Raichu whistled at them, causing Jiraiya to smile.

"You really are one of a kind, a Pokémon who appreciates women."

"_Chu!"_

The two girls giggled, finding it cute that a Pokémon had whistled at them. Of course, Brock looked over to see what Raichu was whistling at.

"You two are gorgeous!" Brock yelled, kneeling at their feet.

"uh… T-thanks."

Raichu walked up to Brock, and gave him a quick shock. Brock fell into a fetal position, and Raichu stood on his back.

"_Rai-chu!"_

"Aw, a Raichu! It's so cute!" The first girl said, picking him up.

"_Rai!"_

The girl began to hug Raichu, shoving his face in her chest. Raichu felt as though he was being choked. Though, having his face shoved into a large pair of breasts wasn't exactly something he would complain about.

"…What's your Raichu doing…?" Konan asked, becoming distracted from the battle. Eevee and Itachi looked over at Raichu, only to have the exact same reaction.

"…That's humiliating…" Itachi muttered, burying his face in his hands.

"_I knew he was a pervert…"_ Eevee sighed, pressing her paw to her forehead.

"Hey… Ash, come here." Misty said.

"What is it?"

"Look at that Horsea…" She muttered, pointing out at the ocean. Indeed, there was a horsea. It looked tired, and had scratches all over.

"What about it?"

"It looks… hurt."

"There's no Pokémon center here."

"Maybe I should catch it and nurse it back to health!"

"Yeah!"

* * *

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" Sakura asked.

"The exit is around here somewhere." Sasuke told her.

"Are we lost?"

"No."

"Where's the exit, then?"

"We'll find it."

"We could ask someone."

"No."

"Sasuke, I don't really want to be wandering around a cave for the rest of my life."

"We'll find the exit."

"Or just get completely lost. Oh, wait. We already are!"

"Be quiet."

Sakura sighed, and glanced around. If Sasuke wasn't asking for directions, she'd do it herself.

"Hey… There's a Pokémon."

"What?"

"Hey, do you know where the exit is?" Sakura asked.

"Huh? Oh. Uh… Just keep going straight… And take the first left…" The Pokémon replied.

"Thanks, Sandshrew!"

"Anytime!"

"Could've just asked, but noooooo." Sakura teased, walking ahead of Sasuke.

"I could've figured that out myself."

"Stop lying, you're not fooling anybody."

* * *

A/N: Yep, Yanmega wasn't in generation one. It's one of the newest Pokémon that came out. (What are we on, now? Generation five?) Why is it in Kanto, you ask? You'll have to wait and find out.


	26. Maiden's peak

A/N: I wanna know, what couples do you guys support in this fic? I already know which ones I'm going to end up with, but I'm curious! (PokemonXPokemon, HumanXPokemon, HumanXHuman.)

I'm curious, because a friend of mine has decided she likes Raichu and Konan. I didn't even know what to say to that.

Crack or real, tell me what you like!

* * *

"Where exactly are we going, anyway, un?"

"We're getting dropped off at Maiden's Peak."

"Where's that?"

"Hey, look!" Misty yelled. Everyone looked to see where Misty was pointing.

"There it is!" Konan said.

"That's Maiden's Peek?" Deidara asked, looking at the large cliff. A huge rock stuck out of the ocean next to it, the top shaped like a woman.

"Yeah. That's it."

"…I just realized something…" Brock muttered.

"What?"

"I just wasted a whole summer!"

"Wasted? We spent the summer adventuring, how was it a waste?" Ash asked.

"For kids, summer means fun, and food, and getting out of school… But for me… It means something else."

"I know exactly what you mean!" Jiraiya said.

"I knew you would! Oh, the tragedy!"

"We have to wait a whole year!"

"What are they going on about?" Konan asked.

"Summer means bathing suits!" Brock whined.

"And girls who wear them!" Jiraiya added.

"Now the summer's gone, bikini season is over!"

"I feel your pain, Brock!"

* * *

"They're so… spastic." Eevee said, looking at the two whining men.

"They have a point." Raichu told her.

"We know _you_ like bikinis, Raichu."

"Yep! But, that's okay. Pokémon don't wear bathing suits. Of course, I guess I wasted my summer, too."

"Why? If you don't care that much about bikinis, what's wrong?" Butterfree asked.

"All the wild Pokémon will be inside for the winter, which means there won't be any girls…"

"We're girls." Eevee pointed out.

"I mean wild girls."

"Oh, we're not good enough?"

"No, you're great!" Raichu laughed. "But, c'mon. A one-night thing isn't bad once in a while."

Eevee stared at Raichu in disbelief.

"...What…?" She muttered.

"What?"

"A… one-night thing?"

"Yeah. Why, did it never happen to you?"

"You're disgusting!" Eevee yelled.

"You're just jealous." Raichu teased. "I'd be happy to show you what it's like."

"PERVERT!"

"Aw, you're overreacting! It can be so many different things; it depends on who you're with!"

"You're really disgusting, you know that?" Eevee said.

"No, really! It can be… Hang on, I'll be right back."

"Don't bother!"

Eevee and Butterfree watched Raichu run up to Konan.

"Don't you think he's creepy?" Eevee asked.

"Um… Sometimes."

"How could you _not_! He's such a pervert!"

"Not always."

"…What's he doing…?" Eevee asked.

Eevee and Butterfree raised an eyebrow when Raichu began to dash up Konan's leg. She looked down in surprise, but really didn't have time to react. Raichu stole the flower from her hair, and jumped back to Butterfree and Eevee.

"Raichu!" Itachi growled.

"No, it's… it's fine." Konan muttered, knowing she'd get it back.

"What's that for?" Eevee asked.

"As I was saying, it can go so many different ways!"

"Was it really necessary to steal that?" She continued.

"Yeah, it kinda was. C'mere!" Raichu said, reaching over to Eevee.

"No!"

"Butterfree?" Raichu asked. "May I demonstrate?"

"D-demonstrate? Demonstrate what?" Eevee yelled.

"Calm down, I didn't mean that." Raichu said.

"U-um… I guess it depends on what you're trying to demonst-"

Butterfree was cut off by Raichu, who grabbed her wing and pulled her over.

"Anyway, there are so many ways it can go! It can be just for fun!"

"Fun? What, like a hobby?" Eevee asked.

"Yeah! Or it can be comforting!"

"That doesn't make any sense! How can you comfort someone you've just met?"

Raichu ignored her, and put the rose in his mouth.

"There's one more way it can go."

"Oh? What's that?" Eevee asked, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Butterfree was beginning to wonder why Raichu needed her, until he pushed her back into a dip.

"It can be a passionate and wonderful display of romance." Raichu whispered.

"Yeah, that's just creepy."

Butterfree twitched. Raichu's face was about three inches from hers, and he was talking about passionate displays of romance.

Holy crap.

"Let go of Butterfree, you're probably scaring her." Eevee said.

"R-Raichu?" Butterfree asked.

"Yeah?"

After a few seconds, Raichu realized that Butterfree was holding her breath, and her heart seemed to be going a mile a minute.

"Whoa… Butterfree, are you okay…?"

Butterfree tried to say something, but went limp before she could. She had passed out!

"Nice going, you pervert!" Eevee yelled.

"I-I didn't mean to!"

Meanwhile, Yahiko and Nagato stood a few feet away.

"I'm not the only one hearing all this, right?" Nagato asked.

"Unfortunately." Yahiko mumbled.

"…I think Raichu needs help…"

"I agree."

"No, I mean that Eevee is attacking him."

Yahiko looked over to find that Nagato was right. Eevee was indeed attacking Raichu. Raichu, who refused to hit girls, wasn't fighting back.

"Just leave him. He deserves it." Yahiko said.

Raichu ran behind Konan, who immediately came to his defense. She pulled Raichu up, where Eevee can't get to him. Eevee hissed, and tried to jump up on her. Konan moved away to avoid any more conflict.

"Are you kidding me?" Yahiko asked. "She defends _him_?"

"She doesn't know what happened. Eevee _does_ have a temper." Nagato pointed out.

"Deidara, get Eevee, will you?" Konan asked, still trying to get away from her.

Deidara grabbed Eevee as she ran by, which just caused her to panic.

"_NO!" _She screamed.

"What's her problem?" Jiraiya asked.

"She's probably still scared after pulling your stitches out, Deidara." Konan said.

Yahiko and Nagato decided to help out with the situation, and prevent it from deteriorating any more.

"Don't let it eat me!" Eevee begged.

"He's not going to eat you, for the last time!" Yahiko growled.

Eevee finally squirmed out of Deidara's grasp, and jumped over to Nagato.

"But… that mouth!"

Yahiko walked over to Deidara, and pulled his shirt up to show that his mouth was closed. Needless to say, Deidara wasn't exactly comfortable with Yahiko doing this.

"H-hey, un!"

"It's… it's closed?" Eevee asked.

"Don't go opening it again." Yahiko said, pushing Deidara's shirt back down.

"Hey, Yahiko!" Raichu yelled.

"What?"

"Didn't you make a bet with Eevee that you could take Deidara in a fight?"

While this was true, Yahiko was slightly distracted by Raichu's position. It looked like he was getting a _bit_ too comfortable with Konan, and using her chest as a backrest.

"Raichu, get off." Yahiko said.

"I dunno, she picked me up. I think she wants me here." Raichu sighed.

Yahiko and Nagato walked over to him, feeling overprotective of their trainer.

"Move." Yahiko growled.

Raichu ignored Yahiko, which just pissed him off. He grabbed Raichu's tail, and yanked him off.

"Yahiko-san!" Konan yelled. "What's your problem?"

"She really is oblivious, isn't she?" Eevee asked.

"She's not a Pokémon. She doesn't know what Raichu's doing, most Pokémon aren't interested in humans." Nagato said.

Yahiko decided that it would be a good time to show Konan what had happened to Butterfree. He began to walk away, and waited for her to follow. After realizing that she wasn't going to come, Yahiko tried to pull her by the hand. Konan refused, still angry at Yahiko for 'being mean' to Raichu.

"This is ridiculous." Yahiko muttered.

"We could just bring Butterfree here." Nagato said.

Yahiko ignored him, and picked Konan up.

"That works, too…"

* * *

"Butterfree?" Konan asked. "What happened?"

Nagato, Yahiko, and Eevee pointed at Raichu, who did his best to look completely innocent. However, he didn't realize that Itachi was standing right behind him. Eevee and Yahiko smiled, knowing that Itachi would believe them.

"Raichu?" Itachi asked.

Raichu flinched, and slowly turned around to face his trainer.

"_R-rai?"_

"Did you do that?"

Raichu shook his head.

"I know you're lying to me, Raichu."

"_Ra-Raichu!"_

"Return. We'll talk about this later."

"He didn't even attack her, and she fainted." Nagato said.

"That'd be a good battle strategy." Yahiko muttered.

"What?" Eevee asked.

"If he refuses to hit girls, that'd be a good way to take them out."

"Not every girl would fall for that." Eevee said. "Like me."

"You'd faint if Deidara did that to you." Yahiko told her.

"I would not."

"Yeah, you would."

* * *

"Hey, what's with all the commotion here?" Misty asked.

"It's the end of summer festival." Jiraiya said.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I came here a few years ago for this."

"H-hey, who's that girl!" Brock yelled, pointing toward one of the docks.

Everyone else looked over, but a mass of people happened to walk by and block their view, trampling Brock in the process.

"Ooooowww…"

When Brock got back up, the woman was gone.

"N-no! Where'd she go?" He yelled.

"Who cares, Brock? Let's go check out this festival!" Ash said.

* * *

"W-why did she have to go…?" Brock muttered.

"Oh, be quiet." Misty said.

"There's more fish in the sea." Jiraiya told him.

"You don't even know her, un." Deidara said.

"HEY, YOU!"

"I-is it the pretty lady?" Brock yelled, turning around.

Behind them stood a short old woman, with a long purple coat.

"Ah, you're not beautiful and young!" Brock cried.

"Who're you calling 'not beautiful'?" She yelled.

"Ignore him, I'm sorry." Misty said.

"I'm here to warn you all about something."

"Warn us?" Itachi asked.

"I'm here to warn you of a beautiful maiden… she will cause you great trouble."

"Well, she must be talking about me!" Misty laughed.

"Quiet, girl! I'm talking about a beautiful woman, not a scrawny blabbermouth like you!"

"Scrawny?" Misty yelled.

Ash and Deidara smiled, and tried not to laugh.

"Who is it, then?" Brock asked.

"Go to the great ceremony at the shrine… you'll understand."

"Well, that actually starts soon." Jiraiya said. "We should start walking now, if you want to go."

* * *

"What exactly is this ceremony?" Brock asked.

"You'll see in a minute, here comes the ceremony master." Jiraiya said.

A old man walked up on the stage, and turned to face the crowd.

"Welcome to the end of summer festival! Thank you for coming to this wonderful –and terrifying- ceremony. Here, once a year… we reveal the maiden's greatest work of art!" He announced, pointing at a large tarp.

"Art, huh?" Deidara asked. "What is it?"

"A painting." Jiraiya said.

"That's not art…"

"You need to have an open mind."

"Yeah, good luck with _that_." Konan muttered.

_"Now, prepare yourselves! I will now reveal the art!"_ The man yelled, yanking the cover off. The painting was quite large, about as tall as the average person. The painting depicted a woman standing on a seaside cliff.

"I-its… gorgeous…" Brock whispered. He stood up, and began to walk toward the painting. "That's her… That's the girl I saw…"

_"There is a legend that goes with this painting, and it is a sad, sad tale. It says that this woman had a lover, who went off to fight in a war… she promised to wait on that cliff for him. She said she'd wait forever. But, the man never returned… she waited on that cliff until her body turned to stone."_

"That's terrible…" Konan muttered.

"That… poor woman…" Brock whispered, still walking toward the painting.

"HEY!" The man yelled, grabbing Brock. "Don't get too close! This is an antique!"

"I have to see it!"

"If you want to see the maiden, go up to the cliff, and look at her body, it's turned to stone!"

* * *

"…Hey, Brock…?" Ash asked.

"…What is it…?"

"It's getting late… Maybe we should go back to the Pokémon center."

"No… I want to stay here a little while longer." Brock muttered, looking at the maiden's statue.

"You know where we're staying, right?"

"At the Pokémon center. I know, Ash. I'll make it back before curfew."

"I'm staying, too." Itachi said.

"You, un?" Deidara asked. "You're the last person I'd expect to stay."

"I'm not staying for her."

"Then, why are you?"

"I've been hearing people talk about ghosts."

"So?"

"Ghost type Pokémon are powerful. I want one. They're bound to be here."

"Make sure you're back on time." Konan said.

"I know."

* * *

"Tayuya… Do you have it ready, yet?" Orochimaru asked.

"_Yu!"_

"Good. Bring it here. Tell Jirobo to get it ready. Get the others, too."

Tayuya disappeared into the hallway for a few minutes, before returning with Kimimaro, Sakon, Ukon, Jirobo, and Kidomaru. Jirobo carried a large barrel on his back, while Kimimaro carried a Curse Stone.

"Tayuya, Grass Whistle."

Tayuya held her flute up, and waited for Orochimaru to release Pein from the holding chamber. As soon as the door opened, Pein charged straight at Orochimaru.

"Now, Tayuya!"

Her flute turned a bright green color, and began to glow. Everyone but Pein covered their ears as she began to play. Pein stopped, suddenly feeling exhausted. He collapsed on the ground, falling into a deep sleep.

"Kimimaro, give me the stone."

Orochimaru took the stone, and put it in Pein's hand. The chain that was floating around the stone began to climb up Pein's arm. It was only a matter of moments before it was floating around his whole body. The chain tightened, embedding itself in his skin.

"Kidomaru, do you have the pill?"

"_Kido."_

It was about the size of a pepper seed. Despite its size, it was very dangerous. Orochimaru took it, and looked back at Pein. The pattern the chain had made on his skin had coiled up into a small mark on his neck. He was ready.

"Hold him up, Jirobo."

Jirobo obeyed, picking up the great Akatsuki leader by his collar, and held him over the barrel. Sakon and Tayuya held the cap, getting ready to seal Pein in. Orochimaru forced the pill down his throat, and watched it work. Pein's eyes flew open moments before Jirobo shoved him into the barrel. Tayuya and Sakon slammed the top on, and quickly sealed it shut.

"Now, we wait." Orochimaru said.

* * *

A/N: Well, I feel like this was shorter than usual. Anyway, which pairings are we liking/not liking? Crack or real, cross-species, ETC!


	27. Ghost of the Maiden

A/N: So, all the nostalgia that this fic is causing me is freaking amazing. Type in 'Pokémon' to iTunes, and see what it gives you. It's great. It's been so long since I've heard the ENTIRE theme song, or the Johto theme (Which was always my second favorite theme song.) Also, in all the songs with Team Rocket singing, James sounds extremely suggestive, no matter what he's saying. It's creepy. I love it. I forgot how much I loved James and his amazing old voice actor.

* * *

"_Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Eleven o'clock! Curfew time! Curfew time!" _The clock chanted.

"They're still not back…" Ash said.

"I hope they're okay." Misty whispered.

"I'm gonna go out and find them!" Ash yelled, jumping up. Unfortunately, the windows were currently being locked down, and Nurse Joy wasn't about to let him out the door.

"It's your bed time, young man!" She said, grabbing his ear. "You'll get sick if you don't get sleep, you can look tomorrow!"

"I'm sure they're fine, Itachi can take care of himself. Brock probably can, too." Konan told them.

"Who cares, anyway?" Deidara asked. "It's their fault for staying out so late, un."

"If anything's seriously wrong, Officer Jenny will take care of it." Jiraiya added.

"Fine…" Ash muttered, stomping off to his room.

"Anyway, you're Jiraiya, aren't you?" Nurse Joy asked. "There's a phone call for you in the other room."

"A phone call? Now?"

"It's from Tsunade."

Jiraiya got up without another word, and went to see what she wanted.

"That's weird. She usually doesn't call this late." Konan said.

"She calls often?" Ash asked.

"Well, she did when I lived with Jiraiya. But, not this late."

"Y-you lived with him, un?"

"What, did you expect me to live in the middle of nowhere for my whole life? My family died, and the village got taken over by Pokémon. Luckily, I only had to stay there for about a year. Then Jiraiya found me."

"How'd you survive?" Misty asked.

"The Pokémon took care of me."

"What?"

"A couple of Pokémon took me in, sort of."

"They… raised you?"

"They were little Pokémon. So, not really… We just kinda stuck together."

"Hey, Konan!" Jiraiya yelled.

"Yeah?"

"Tsunade has something for you. Naruto's there, too."

"Where are they? Why is Tsunade calling so late? How did they know where to call?"

"Tsunade knew I'd be here. I told her I'd be here, I come here pretty often."

So, everyone got up to go see Tsunade and Naruto.

* * *

"Hey, guys!"

The group walked up to the phone, where there was also a video screen, with a very happy Naruto.

"Hi, Naruto. Where are you?" Konan asked.

"I'm in-"

"Don't blow the secret!" Jiraiya yelled.

"Oh, right. Where are you guys?"

"We're at Maiden's peak, un." Deidara told him.

"All you guys are way back there? That sucks! I got my fourth gym badge, dattebayo!"

"Wow, Naruto! How's the fourth gym leader?" Konan asked.

"She's not so tough! She's got a bunch of grass types! Vulpix and Sasuke were perfect! By the way, you've gotta see my Sasuke now! That creepy guy that bit him really helped us! Sasuke's so much more powerful!"

"Orochimaru?" Konan asked.

"Uh, was that his name? Yeah, sure. Sasuke, come on out!"

Sasuke came out of its Pokéball, looking tired and annoyed.

"Show them that thing you can do!"

Sasuke stared at Naruto, having no idea what he was talking about.

"That… thing! The thing on your neck!"

Sasuke sighed, not really wanting to use his curse mark. It hurt. But, he figured Naruto wouldn't shut up until he did. The pattern spread quickly, almost as if it were an all-consuming fire. The color faded to black when it had spread all the way.

"Check it out! This makes him so much stronger!"

"…Are you sure that's safe…?" Misty asked.

"That looks… bad." Jiraiya muttered.

"Tsunade said it was dangerous and stuff. But, Sasuke can handle it!"

"If you insist…"

"Oh, Grandma Tsunade's coming back. Sasuke, return!"

Sasuke went back into his Pokéball, and Tsunade pushed Naruto away from the screen.

"Got 'em, Jiraiya." She said, holding up a couple of pokéballs.

"How is he?"

"Not too great… But, that's nothing new, is it? I healed him as much as I can, he should be fine."

"I hope so."

"Have Nurse Joy take a look at him, make sure I didn't miss anything."

"You? Miss something? Losing our touch, are we?"

"Just do it."

"Yeah, I will."

"Pokéballs?" Ash asked.

"Yep."

"What's inside?"

"You'll see."

Tsunade left the screen for a few seconds to transfer the pokéballs, and the Pokémon inside. They appeared at a small station across the hall, where Jiraiya went and picked them up.

"Did they transfer?" Tsunade asked.

"Yeah, I got them. Konan, come here."

Konan walked over to Jiraiya, who handed the pokéballs to her.

"These pokéballs are wet!" She said, sounding surprised.

"Fresh from the rain country." Jiraiya told her.

"Rain country! Amegakure?"

Jiraiya nodded.

Konan spun around, pressing the buttons on the pokéballs. They opened up, and released the Pokémon inside.

"What the heck are those?" Ash asked, pointing at the two Pokémon.

"A Nagato-Sama and Pein." Misty said.

Ash took out his pokédex, wanting to find out more.

Name: Nagato-Sama

Species: False God

Type: Psychic/Steel

Evolutionary chain: Evolved form of Nagato-san

Nagato-sama have very low defense, despite their steel type. These Pokémon can be very vicious, and difficult to train. The rods on their back are very painful for Nagato-sama, and can hurt this Pokémon immensely if they are so much as touched.

00000000000000000000000000

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 4

Defense: 1

Special attack: 5

Special defense: 2

Speed: 1

0000000000000000

"Happy to see them?" Jiraiya asked.

"That's a stupid question!" She said, running up to the Pokémon.

Jiraiya smiled, and left to get Nurse Joy like Tsunade had asked. Konan stood between the two Pokémon. Nagato managed to crack something that could be called a smile, if you squinted. Pein, being the completely blank-faced Pokémon he was, looked like he didn't care. Konan could tell that he was happy, though nobody knew how.

"You know these Pokémon?" Ash asked.

"They're the ones I stayed with for a year!"

"These? These are the Pokémon?"

"Yeah!"

"They're not little anymore, are they?"

"Nope. I haven't seen them since… Last year, probably. That was the last time I went to Amegakure."

"Are those the evolved forms of Yahiko-san and Nagato-san?"

"Yeah." Konan said, taking out her own Yahiko-san and Nagato-san.

"Pein, Nagato-sama… These are two of my Pokémon, Yahiko-san and Nagato-san."

"_These are our evolved forms." _Nagato said.

"_Nagato?" _Yahiko asked.

"_Yeah?"_

"_It upsets me that you're going to look like that someday." _He said, nodding at Nagato-sama.

"_Watch your mouth." _Nagato-sama growled.

"_I don't have to, you know. I need a stone to get to that point, anyway. And your evolved form looks…" _Nagato began.

"_Like a total badass. I can't wait."_

Nurse Joy came back in with Jiraiya, who had just finished explaining the situation.

"Well, Nagato-sama do have a tendency to get sick, because of their physical state…" She mumbled. "I'll take a look."

"Thanks."

"Is he okay?" Konan asked.

"Tsunade healed him up the best she could, so he should be fine." Jiraiya told her.

"That's good."

Jiraiya went back to the phone to continue his conversation with Tsunade.

"So, nobody attacked you, right?" Jiraiya asked.

"They're not really happy about me being here, but they're tolerating it."

"What do you expect? These Pokémon live in a village that's completely unpopulated by humans, they're probably uncomfortable around them."

"Yeah. Oh, did I mention the new Yahiko evolutions here?"

"What…?"

"I've seen more than Pein and Fein around here."

"What else is there?"

"There are a couple of new ones. I can't capture them, because the rest of the Pokémon don't want me anywhere near them."

"How do you know they're evolved from Yahiko?"

"If you saw them, you'd know."

"I'll come down tomorrow."

"A bit fast, isn't it?"

"Well, the Pokémon aren't going to tolerate you being there forever, so I should probably get there fast, so we can get out sooner."

"Alright… Oh, does Itachi want the rest of his Pokémon back?"

"He's not here right now, but he'll be here in the morning."

"I've got his other two Pokémon with me, should I send them over?"

"Yeah, do that. I'm sure he'll want them soon, anyway."

* * *

"You made a bet… with an Eevee?" Pein asked.

"Yeah."

"That you could defeat the blonde guy? The one with the long hair?"

"Deidara."

"What type is he?"

"Ground."

"Ground type… You're a Yahiko-san. Did you learn water gun when you were younger?"

"Of course."

"Show me."

"Hey, Nagato!" Yahiko yelled.

"What?"

"Think fast!"

"Huh?"

Nagato ducked when water shot out of Yahiko's mouth. It hit the wall behind him, leaving Nagato mostly dry, except for a few drops that bounced back.

"Good." Pein said. "Water type moves will work against ground types.

"We've got to clean that up, you know." Nagato said.

"Yeah, yeah." Yahiko muttered.

"Why?" Nagato-sama asked.

"B-Because it's our fault?"

"Gods should not have to clean something like that."

"Gods?"

"You will be a god when you evolve."

"It's not that big of a deal, it's just water."

"Nagato-san, you know gust, don't you?" Pein asked.

"Yeah, which is why this isn't a big deal." Nagato said, turning to the wall. After a few hand signs, a strong wind seemed to come out of nowhere, successfully pushing the water off the wall.

* * *

"Brock?"

"Itachi?"

"Hello?"

"Anybody?"

"Where could they be…?" Misty asked.

"They can't just disappear; they've got to be here somewhere, un." Deidara said.

"But where?"

The group wandered around the cliff until they ran into some unwelcome enemies.

"What? What are you doing here?" One of them yelled.

"Jessie?" Ash asked.

"Meowth?" Konan added.

"Leave us alone, we're looking for James!" Jessie said.

"You lost someone, too?" Misty asked. "Brock and Itachi are gone."

"To protect the world from devastation!"

Jessie paused, and then remembered that James wasn't there.

"Um… To unite all peoples within our nation." She added, making her voice deeper. "Do denounce the evils of truth and love, to extend our reach to the stars above! Jessie!"

"…_J-Jaaaameess…"_

"What was that?" Ash asked.

"James?" Jessie asked. "T-Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!"

"_Surrender… now… or prepare… to fiiiiiigggght…"_

They all glanced around until they spotted a small shack on the cliff. They opened the doors to find Meowth, James, and Brock.

"Where's Itachi?" Konan asked.

"James, you're okay?" Jessie asked.

"I-I think so…"

"Don't ever leave like that again, do you hear me!" She yelled, shaking him.

"Brock, what happened?" Ash asked.

"The… the beautiful woman… she came again…"

"The maiden from the legend?"

"Yeah…"

"Where's Itachi?" Konan asked again.

"I don't know."

"You! You didn't listen to my warnings, did you?"

Brock flinched as a cane was forcefully smashed into his skull. He turned to see the old lady that had spoken to them the day before.

"Hey, I remember you." He said.

"Well, you clearly don't remember what I told you! I told you about a beautiful woman causing trouble, didn't I? Why didn't you listen?"

"I-I… She's so pretty!"

"You were trapped overnight by her spirit… I'll sell you some ghost-repelling tags, for five dollars each!"

"I want some, too!" James said.

"James, we can't afford that." Jessie muttered.

"Please, Jess! I don't want to be trapped by a ghost; I don't care how pretty she is!"

"Two for one deal?" The old woman asked.

"Fine!" Ash said, taking out his wallet.

"Hey, I'm going to look for Itachi." Konan said.

* * *

"Itachi? Hello?"

"_Saur!"_

Konan looked over at an Ivysaur, who was currently walking toward her.

"An Ivysaur?"

"_S-saur! Saur-saur!"_

"Are you Itachi's Ivysaur? Did you evolve from his Bulbasaur?"

"_Saur, Ivysaur!"_

"Is Itachi okay?"

Ivysaur ran off into the forest, slowing down only to let Konan catch up.

* * *

"O-oh my god, what happened!"

"_Rai-Raichu!"_

Itachi was currently lying on the forest floor, with both of his eyes bleeding. He wore the Akatsuki cloak, which meant that he was in Pokémon form. Raichu helplessly circled his trainer, unsure of what to do.

"Itachi? Itachi, can you hear me?"

Konan didn't get a response, leading her to believe that he had fainted somehow.

"Raichu, what happened to his eyes?"

Raichu shrugged.

"Butterfree, go!"

"_Freeee!"_

"Get Nurse Joy, Itachi's in trouble!"

"_Reeee!"_

* * *

"Wait, so what exactly are we going to do?" James asked.

"Just wear these ghost tags, and she won't get you." Jessie told him.

"But, why are we staying in this shack? She trapped us in here, why aren't we leaving?"

"We're trying to get her out of the shack. Scare her away, you see." The old woman said.

"Oh."

"I… I don't want these tags!" Brock yelled. "I love her!"

"You love every girl you see, Brock." Misty muttered.

* * *

"Sasuke, they've been through here." Sakura said. "Apparently they were here for the beauty contest, and that was only a few days ago."

"Good. Where did they go?"

"They took a boat to Maiden's peak, apparently."

"Maidens peak? Then we'll go there. We'll have to walk across the water."

"Alright."

* * *

"Nurse Joy! Is Itachi going to be okay?" Konan asked.

"He'll be fine, he just needs rest."

"What happened to his eyes?"

"It's happened to a few Sasuke before. He just overused his Sharingan, and ran out of energy for it."

"Oh, that's all?"

"Yep! He should be fine in the morning, and his Sharingan should be ready to use."

"That's good."

* * *

"You can't be serious…" Raichu muttered.

"Well, I'm not joking." Yahiko said.

"It's a good idea." Pein added. "It would work. You'd just have to find someone to teach you."

"What kinds of Pokémon know that move, anyway?" Raichu asked.

"Sasuke and its evolved form, ditto… I've heard the Mizukage knows it…" Pein mumbled.

"Sasuke know… Attract?" Raichu asked. "Sasuke don't seem like the type to…"

"Girls fall all over them, of course they know Attract."

"But… There's no Sasuke around here."

"We'll ask the first Sasuke we see." Yahiko said.

"Aren't they kinda rare?"

"So? They still exist."

* * *

A/N: Okay, so about the Water Gun and Gust: In some newer episode of the Shippuden, Yahiko knew some kind of water jutsu where he spit water out of his mouth. Nagato knew how to create these powerful gusts of wind. Jiraiya taught them when he was training them, I think. In case you want to see it, it's in episode 128 or 127 of the shippuden.


	28. Ghastly and the Maiden

A/N: I am seriously disappointed in the lack of toad and slug Pokémon in generation one. Poor Tsunade and Jiraiya will probably feel left out.

Anyway, I wasn't planning on the trainers understanding Pokémon language, even in Pokémon form. It IS possible for trainers to learn the Pokémon language (According to the anime, anyway.) but I don't think these guys have.

* * *

"Well, I have to go now." Jiraiya said.

"Bye! See you soon!"

"Make sure you send Pein and Nagato-sama back to Amegakure tonight. They need to go back… You remember what happened last time they left, right?"

"I know, I know. I'll send them back. We don't need _that_ happening again."

Jiraiya nodded, and pulled out a Pokéball. A Pidgeot came out, and stretched its wings.

"Alright, Pidgeot… We're going to Amegakure." Jiraiya told it, jumping on its back.

"_Pidge!"_

Pidgeot jumped into the air, and carried Jiraiya up into the sky.

"What happened last time they left?" Ash asked.

"Ah… Well, Nagato and Pein are kind of like the leaders back at Amegakure. They left for a little while, and the whole place fell apart."

"Fell apart?"

"All the Pokémon were fighting for dominance. It was pretty bad."

"Oh."

"So, _we're_ staying here until tomorrow, un?" Deidara asked. "Then we're leaving?"

"Yeah. There's only one more night of this maiden ghost, anyway. At the end of the festival, she leaves until next year."

"Why are we _staying_?" James yelled. "Can't we just leave? Run away?"

"No, James. We bought these stupid ghost-repelling tags, we're using them." Jessie said, pressing yet another sticker onto his forehead.

"B-but-"

"Shut it!"

"So, this maiden won't show up until tonight… we have the whole day to do nothing, don't we?" Ash asked.

"Yeah."

"I'm gonna train!" He yelled, jumping up.

"_Training… that would be a good idea…"_ Pein said.

"_Sure, why not?" _Yahiko asked, pushing himself off the bench.

"It's not like there's anything better to do…" Konan said. "Deidara, come on."

"No."

"…What…?"

"Not unless you promise you won't use Sweet Kiss."

"It's one of my moves, what do you want?"

"Then I have the right to use Lick."

"Fine. Don't think that'll stop me, though."

"That won't stop you? Do you _want_ my tongue down your throat, un?

"No, but it's a battle. I can't get distracted by things like that."

Deidara sighed, and changed into his Pokémon form.

"_You two." _Pein said, pointing at Nagato and Yahiko. _"We'll train."_

"_Two against one?" _Yahiko asked. _"That's not fair; we don't want to gang up on you."_

"_You'll have to gang up on me if you hope to leave a scratch."_

"_Is that a challenge?"_

"_Maybe."_

"_Come on, Nagato! Let's take him down!"_

* * *

"Good, everyone's here… Now, while we wait for Pein to undergo the transformation, I have another thing for you all to do." Orochimaru said.

The Pokémon perked up, hoping it would be something interesting.

"Naruto Uzumaki. I don't think that Team Rocket will be able to find him. I want you to do it."

The Pokémon nodded. Orochimaru had told them about Naruto. He wore a bright orange suit, how hard could it be to find him?

"Good. Remember, don't get distracted. Especially you, Tayuya."

"_Tay…"_

Jirobo and Kidomaru huddled together, trying very hard not to laugh. Tayuya shot them a death glare, successfully shutting them up.

* * *

"KATSU!"

"He's not going to win like that…" Misty muttered. "She's made of paper; she can avoid those explosions pretty easily."

"She's a grass type, too. Deidara's a ground type. He's at a disadvantage." Brock added.

"_You have to move faster."_ Pein said, dodging another punch.

"_Hey… Hold on a minute." _Yahiko said.

"_What?" _Nagato asked.

"_I could sneak-attack Deidara now. He's distracted._"

"_Good. Sneak attacks are always more successful."_ Pein told him.

Yahiko waited until he had a good view of Deidara, and shot a Water Gun attack at him. Unfortunately, Konan had just put herself back together for an attack. The water gun knocked Deidara out of her way, which left her spiraling toward the ground. Pein raised his hand, which began to glow a strange blue color. Konan began to glow a few seconds later, and stopped falling. Pein slowly lowered his hand, and Konan came down with it. After her feet were touching the ground, the glow faded, and Pein put his hand back down.

"_What'd you do?" Nagato asked._

"_Psychic. It allows the user to take control of an object, and move it."_

Deidara shook the water off, feeling as if it were a fire.

"_Well, go finish him off."_ Pein said.

"_Right! Nagato, go and get Eevee. She needs to see this, doesn't she?"_

Nagato went over to Konan's bag, and pulled Eevee's Pokéball out.

"_Eevee, Yahiko is going to fight Deidara now."_

At the sound of that, Eevee jumped out of her Pokéball, and looked over at her beloved Deidara.

"_How come he's all wet?"_

"_Yahiko hit him with a Water Gun a minute ago."_

"_Oh."_

"Yahiko-san, what was that for?" Konan asked.

Yahiko ignored her, and charged at Deidara. Konan began to chase him, but Pein used Psychic to stop her. He pulled her back, and put her down next to him.

"You want me to… let him attack?" She asked. Pein nodded, and waited for her to sit down.

"_Go, Deidara!" _Eevee yelled.

Deidara ducked under another Water Gun, and attempted to finish the clay sculpture he had been working on before he was knocked out of the sky.

"Yahiko, are you just jealous your trainer was losing, un?" Deidara joked.

"I was not losing!" Konan yelled.

"How come Yahiko attacked?" Ash asked.

"I don't know." Brock said. "But he doesn't look angry. It's probably just a friendly battle."

"I could never call a battle 'friendly', but whatever." Deidara muttered, throwing a clay spider at Yahiko.

Unfortunately, nobody noticed that the sun was setting. Nobody except for poor James.

"J-Jessie? The sun's setting… She'll be here soon!"

"Okay."

"O-okay? Is that all you have to say?"

"Don't worry, it'll be fine!" Meowth said. "We got those tags, right?"

"I-I guess. Shouldn't everyone get inside?"

"Hey, twerps!" Jessie yelled.

Ash, Misty and Brock –who were used to their nicknames by now – looked to see what she wanted.

"The sun's going down, get inside."

"Yahiko, Deidara… come on." Konan said.

"_You can finish this later, Yahiko ." _Pein told him.

Yahiko and Deidara reluctantly stopped their battle, and went inside.

"How long do we have to wait for this girl, un?"

"N-not long… I don't think." James squeaked.

James was right, seeing as the doors flew open a few moments later. A powerful wind blew away most of the tags, which meant that they wouldn't be repelling any ghosts. James grabbed on to a few of them, hoping to save himself. The beautiful young woman who had appeared earlier flew into the cabin.

"It's you!" Brock yelled.

"I've been waiting for you." She said.

"And I for you!" Brock told her.

The woman flew outside, and over the cliff. A powerful wind began to pull Brock and James outside. While Brock was absolutely fine with this, James was not.

"Jessie, help me!" He yelled, grabbing on to the doorframe.

"What? You don't want to go?" Jessie asked.

"N-no! Why would I want to go with a ghost! I'm scared! Jessie, please!" James begged, tears beginning to fall down his face.

Jessie didn't move, and looked indifferent as James was yanked from the doorframe, and over the cliff. Ash and Misty were not the same way about Brock, and seemed very concerned for his safety. They grabbed on to his legs, preventing him from being pulled completely off the cliff.

"Let go of me!" He yelled. "I want to be with the maiden!"

"Brock, are you insane?"

"Just let them go, let them learn their lesson." Deidara said.

"I don't need to learn, I don't wanna go!" James screamed.

"You're part of Team Rocket, you deserve to go." Deidara told him.

James was about to continue complaining, but was too busy watching a bazooka shot fly by him. It went through the maiden, disrupting her wind. James fell down toward the ocean, but managed to grab the cliff and climb back up.

"You can't take him!" Jessie yelled, putting the bazooka down.

"J-Jessie! You do care!" James said.

"It's not because of you, James." Jessie muttered.

"Huh?"

"This girl makes me _sick_! I_ hate _women who sit around at home, waiting for their _man _to come back! Acting like their little _pets_! If a guy left me, I wouldn't wait around; I'd say 'good riddance'! There's plenty more fish in the sea! It's disgusting!"

"I won't be stopped!" The maiden screeched, raising her hands. Ghostly figures flew out of the forest, circling the group.

"What are those?" Ash asked, pulling out his pokédex.

'_No Pokémon found!' _It said.

"T-these aren't Pokémon?" Misty yelled.

'_Still searching…_'

Ash spun around to face the maiden, hoping there was some way to stop her.

'_Pokémon found! Retrieving data…'_

"That's a Pokémon?" Konan asked.

'_Data retrieved! Ghastly, the ghost Pokémon! It is usually invisible, and enjoys scaring people as well as other Pokémon.'_

"Ghastly!" Ash yelled. "You're a Pokémon, not a maiden!"

"Hahaha! So, you've discovered my secret?" The maiden laughed, her voice suddenly much deeper. "It took you long enough!"

"What's your problem?" Ash asked.

"Well, sometimes I'm a Pokémon, sometimes I'm a maiden… and sometimes, I'm a mysterious old lady!" Ghastly told him, transforming into the old woman who had sold them the ghost tags.

"Well, if you're a Pokémon, I can defeat you! Go, Pikachu!"

"_Pika!"_

"An electric mouse Pokémon? I have just the thing! A mouse trap!" Ghastly said, changing form yet again. Pikachu dashed back to Ash, terrified of the moving mouse trap.

"No way! Go, Charmander!"

"_Char_!"

"A fire type is no match for a fire extinguisher!"

"Ah! Charmander, return! Squirtle, Bulbasaur, attack together!"

"Two Pokémon? Then I'll become their evolved forms, Venasaur and Blastoise. Just for fun, I'll put them together to become Venastoise!" Ghastly said, pushing the two evolved Pokémon together. The result was a Blastoise with a large flower and leaves growing out of its shell.

"That's it! Go, Ekans!" Jessie yelled, sending out her Ekans.

"Ekans is a snake, so next in the food chain is a mongoose."

Ekans practically tackled Jessie when Ghastly changed into its natural predator.

"Uh… Uh, go Koffing!" James said.

"_Koffing!"_

"I'm sorry; this is a no-smoking area." Ghastly laughed, putting a gas mask onto his mongoose face. He pressed his foot down on Koffing for a few seconds until James retrieved his Pokémon.

"There's gotta be something we can do…" Ash muttered.

"Hey, look! It's getting brighter!" Brock said, pointing toward the horizon.

"Gah! The sun? I might be a brave ghost Pokémon, but I hate sunlight! I'll go away now! But be careful, the old woman and beautiful maiden will return next year!"

Ghastly disappeared, leaving everyone feeling confused and slightly shaken.

* * *

"So… Now what? We just leave?" Brock asked.

"Guess so." Konan said, picking up Pein and Nagato-sama's pokéballs.

"Well, hurry up!" Ash yelled. "I wanna see what's next!"

"Nagato-sama, Pein, I'll see you guys soon, okay?" Konan asked.

The two Pokémon nodded, reluctantly going back into their pokéballs.

"I'll send you back to Amegakure… Jiraiya should let you guys out. If not, I'm sure you can get out of these pokéballs on your own." She said, putting them up on the transporters.

"Can we have breakfast before we go? I'm starving!" Misty whined.

"We have to wait for Itachi to get up, anyway." Konan said.

"Fine…" Ash muttered.

"_Hey, Nagato… do you think there's any Sasuke around here?"_ Yahiko asked.

"_I don't know."_

"_Let's get Raichu and go look, okay?"_

* * *

"You're bringing your egg with us?" Raichu asked, looking up at Nagato.

"I don't want to leave it lying around."

"Konan could watch it, right?"

"Just let him bring it, nobody cares." Yahiko said.

"So, are there Sasuke around? I haven't seen any, have you?" Raichu asked, changing the subject.

"I haven't seen any, but there's probably something around that knows Attract." Yahiko said.

"Hey, what happened to Itachi?" Nagato asked.

"I don't know. Ivysaur took me out of my Pokéball, but he didn't tell me what happened."

So, the three of them wandered into the woods to search. The floor was littered with logs and rocks, making it hard to walk on. Of course, Nagato tripped eventually, dropping the egg, and sending it flying down the hill.

"I told you this was a bad idea!" Raichu yelled, running after the egg.

"Who cares? Just get it!" Yahiko instructed.

Unfortunately, this egg happened to fly into someone.

_"Hey, why don't you watch where you throw your shit, will you?"_

"Sorry." Raichu said, pushing the egg off. "Hey, you're pretty!"

"Leave me alone, I'm busy."

"Well, I'm sure that hurt. Can I help you in any way?"

"Raichu, did you get it?" Nagato asked.

"Uh, yeah! I found a girl, too!"

"What?"

Nagato and Yahiko ran down, and stared at the girl.

"Uh… Hi, Tayuya." Nagato said.

"You're the last person I need here right now! I'm busy."

"You know her?" Yahiko asked.

"Unfortunately." Tayuya muttered. "I'm on a mission, and I don't need you distracting me again."

"That wasn't my fault."

"Shut up."

"How do you know each other?" Raichu asked.

"None of your business." Tayuya growled.

"If you've gotta know, that's her egg." Nagato said.

Yahiko and Raichu went silent, staring at Nagato.

"Seriously?" Yahiko asked.

"Well… this is… awkward…" Raichu muttered.

* * *

A/N: Well, that whole Ghastly-maiden thing honestly looked like one huge fanimation when I watched it. It was REALLY weird.


	29. Attraction

A/N: I forgot how much I ship Jessie and James, but watching all these movies/episodes has reminded me. Any complaints if I sort of start sneaking Rocketshipping (JessieXJames) hints in here? Please? I mean, how can you watch Pokémon and NOT ship it?

**Also, this is important!**

If any of you have seen Giratina and the Sky warrior (one of the many Pokémon movies), you can skip this.

If you haven't, I suggest you go and watch it. Or at least, find out about the reverse world.

Here's a quick run-down of it:

The reverse world is basically a world that is opposite of the Pokémon world, and that's where Giratina lives. In the reverse world, the gravity is really messed up, and there are crystal pillars throughout it. If you look at the pillars, something from the real world will be shown on them. If a crystal is destroyed, whatever was being shown on it will be destroyed in the real world.

I _think_ that mirrors in the real world are kind of like an entrance to the reverse world, and that's where Giratina creates his portals. You can walk through the portals in mirrors to get into and out of the reverse world.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing here, anyway?" Tayuya asked.

"I should ask you the same question." Nagato retorted.

"I told you, my trainer wanted me to go find something."

"Well, we're looking for a Sasuke." Raichu told her.

"A Sasuke? Why the hell would you want to find one of _them_?"

"They know attract, don't they?" Yahiko asked.

"If you _really_ want one, I can get one for you. Of course, I'll want something in return."

"You know where to find a Sasuke?"

"Yeah. If you help me find a kid called 'Naruto', I'll get you a Sasuke."

"Deal!" Yahiko yelled.

"I'll get him in a minute… and this egg… I remember it being smaller." Tayuya said, picking up the egg. It was fairly large now, almost the size of her torso.

"I should hope it was smaller!" Raichu laughed. "You'd be a freak if you could squeeze something _that_ big out of your ass!"

Tayuya refused to say anything about that, and just glared at him. After Raichu stopped laughing, Tayuya turned around, staring into the forest.

"What is it?"

"Jirobo, Kidomaru… Stop laughing! Don't act like you've never had a one-night mistake, I know you have! Don't act like you're a couple of prudes!"

"One-night _mistake_?" Raichu asked. "It couldn't have been that bad."

"It wasn't until this damn egg came around. This usually doesn't happen."

"You have one night things often?"

"Why do you care?"

"Well, I could always add one more to that list." Raichu said, looking as sexy as a small rat Pokémon could.

"You're a bit small for that."

"It's not how small it is, it's what you do with it."

Tayuya ignored this, and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?"

"You want that Sasuke, don't you?"

"Oh!"

* * *

"Well, we're gonna get going!" Ash said.

"Okay. See you when we catch up."

"Catch up? You won't be catching up; I'm going full steam ahead!"

"Then I guess we'll see you eventually, un." Deidara muttered.

Brock, Misty and Ash disappeared along the path, leaving Deidara and Konan at the Pokémon center.

"Itachi's up. Now we just need to find out where Nagato-san, Yahiko-san and Raichu went." Konan said.

"Couldn't have gotten too far."

"Let's go look for them."

* * *

"What the heck is this place?" Raichu asked.

"It's my master's place. Don't tell people about this, got it?"

"Anything for you, sweet cheeks!"

"I can't believe you… and her… that egg." Yahiko whispered.

"I don't need to be reminded." Nagato said.

"I'm just saying. She doesn't seem like your type, you know?"

"Nobody asked you!"

Tayuya stopped in front of a large mirror, and tapped it a couple of times. The center of the mirror began to swirl, and pull back. After a few seconds, a large portal had formed in the mirror, and looked rather frightening. Something stepped out of the portal, and waited for it to close. The creature was a large humanoid figure, with wings on its back, shaped like hands. Its skin was a dark color, and it appeared to have fangs.

"What do you want?" It asked.

"These three wanted you."

"What is that… thing?" Yahiko asked, pointing at it.

"Why did it come out of a mirror?" Raichu added.

"You wanted a Sasuke, didn't you?"

"I don't know what kind of Sasuke _you're_ talking about, but this isn't what we wanted." Nagato said.

"This is just an evolved form of Sasuke. Get rid of the Curse Stone for a minute, will you? You overuse it."

The large evolved form of Sasuke glared at Tayuya, but quickly began to shrink. It was only a few moments before it had reverted to a Sasuke-kun, which now held a small purple stone in its hand.

"It _is_ a Sasuke!" Raichu exclaimed. "But… seriously, what's with the weird mirror?"

"Alright, you've got your Sasuke." Tayuya sighed. "Don't worry about the mirror; it's none of your business."

"Do you know how to use 'Attract'?" Yahiko asked.

"Why?"

"Because I want to learn it." Raichu said.

"I haven't used it recently."

"You still know it, don't you?"

"Even if I did, why should I show _you_ how to do it?"

"They offered to help me find that 'Naruto' kid." Tayuya told him.

"You want me to teach that Raichu how to use Attract so we can find Naruto?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Why not?"

"You just lead a bunch of Pokémon into Orochimaru's hideout." Sasuke said. "Did you really expect me to _teach_ them something? Orochimaru won't like this."

"He won't know. They're only here for a few minutes."

"They could tell people. We need to eliminate them."

"Um… E-Eliminate?" Raichu asked, backing away. "We really weren't gonna tell anybody. But, if that's how you feel about it… We'll be going now."

"I don't think so." Sasuke said, standing in front of the exit.

"On the count of three, we run for it." Yahiko whispered.

"He's blocking the exit." Nagato said.

"Leave _that_ to me." Raichu hissed, crouching down on all fours.

"When we get outside, we split up…" Yahiko instructed.

"Got it."

"One… Two… GO!"

Sasuke -who wasn't about to just let them leave- raised his hand, which began to spark. Lightning shot out of his fingers. Raichu jumped up, and dove into the ground as if it were water.

"Where did he go?" Nagato asked, ducking under another bolt.

"He must be using Dig."

Sasuke looked down, and was immediately able to pick out Raichu's position thanks to his Sharingan. Unfortunately for him, it was too late. Raichu jumped out of the ground, and struck him in the face. After recovering from the hit, Sasuke began to blow fire at Raichu, who didn't have enough time to dodge. He landed on the ground, badly burned. Yahiko and Nagato took this opportunity to attack with Water Gun and Gust, which pushed Sasuke up against the wall. Raichu pushed himself up, and the three of them ran outside, splitting off into three different directions. Sasuke decided it would be stupid to chase them. This base was only temporary, anyway.

"Don't ever bring outsiders in here again." He said, walking by Tayuya. "Get rid of that egg, too."

Tayuya waited for Sasuke to go back into the mirror, and then walked outside. _She _certainly did not want this egg. After a few seconds of hesitation, she decided to go and give it back to Nagato.

* * *

"I can send Beedrill to look for them."

"Good idea."

Itachi pulled Beedrill's Pokéball off of his belt, and released the Pokémon inside.

"Beedrill. Go find Raichu, Nagato-san, and Yahiko-san."

Beedrill nodded, and flew off into the forest.

"They've gotta be around here _somewhere_…" Konan muttered.

A few moments later, Yahiko came running _out_ of the forest, and up to Konan. After realizing that Sasuke wasn't chasing him, he sat down, and began to catch his breath.

"Yahiko-san, there you are! What happened? Where are Nagato-san and Raichu?"

* * *

Raichu sighed, collapsing on the ground. That Flamethrower was powerful, and had really hurt. He glanced around, suddenly recognizing where he was. This was where they had first gotten off the boat at Maiden's Peak. Surprisingly, nobody was there. Raichu wondered if that was because the festival was over.

"Hey, you."

Raichu turned around to see a Sasuke-kun standing over him, which he was not happy about. He crouched down, and began to prepare a Thunderbolt. The Sasuke-kun ignored this, and proceeded to ask questions.

"Have you seen a trainer called Itachi?"

"Back off… I'm not going to go easy on you." Raichu said, trying to sound threatening. This was slightly undermined by the fact that he looked exhausted, and barely came up to Sasuke-kun's knee.

"I'll ask you again. Have you seen a trainer called Itachi?"

"…You're not going to kill me…?" Raichu asked.

"Not unless I have to."

"Oh, wait… okay. I thought you were someone else." Raichu sighed.

_"Sasuke, what are you…? Oh, it's a Raichu. It looks hurt."_

Raichu looked behind the Sasuke-kun to see a Sakura-chan.

"H-hey, you're pretty!"

"What happened? You look like you've been in a battle." Sakura said.

"Uh, yeah… I was. But, I took out my opponent! He was running scared!"

"Do you need help? You look like you've been burned."

"It's nothing. I've had worse."

"Can I help you? I know some healing moves."

"Well, I don't _really_ need it, but… If you insist."

Sakura knelt down and began to heal Raichu.

"So, Sasuke… You're looking for someone named 'Itachi'? What do you need him for?"

"I want to kill him."

"Well, I've never heard of the guy!" Raichu squeaked.

"Have you seen him around, then? His eyes are probably red; he never turns his Sharingan off. He's got long black hair, and it's pulled back. He might've been wearing a black cloak with red clouds."

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Raichu said, laughing nervously.

"Sakura, hurry up. He could still be here."

"Uh, wait a minute… Do you know 'Attract' by any chance?" Raichu asked.

"What for?"

"Well… I might've seen this 'Itachi' guy around… Maybe learning Attract would… refresh my memory."

"No."

"Sasuke, there's no harm in helping this Raichu, is there?" Sakura asked.

"…Fine…"

* * *

"He's not coming after you, stop running!"

Nagato skidded to a stop, and turned around, relieved that he wasn't being followed.

"Take this, I don't want it!" Tayuya said, shoving the egg into his arms. "And make sure your trainers don't come by that base."

"I don't think I'd want them anywhere _near_ that base."

"Neither do I. Orochimaru-sama would kill me."

"_Nagato-san!"_

"Huh?"

Tayuya and Nagato looked around until they spotted Konan, who was running down to see them.

"You're okay… But where's Raichu?"

Nagato shrugged, having no idea where Raichu had gone.

"Hey, who's this?" She asked, looking over at Tayuya. She pulled out her pokédex to find out.

Name: Tayuya

Species: Flutist

Type: Flying

Evolutionary chain: This Pokémon does not evolve

Tayuya are known for their long-range combat and strategic skills. These Pokémon are very good at devising plans for attack and defense, and can be used as bodyguards. They have a short temper often think of themselves as superior to others. Their flute is their only weapon, making them susceptible to close-range attacks.

00000000000000000000000000

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 3

Defense: 2

Special attack: 5

Special defense: 4

Speed: 3

0000000000000000

"Tayuya? What's it doing here?"

"_I think you should leave now." _Tayuya said.

"_I guess we have to find Raichu first… but then we're leaving. Probably over to the next gym." _Nagato told her.

"_Good. Don't come back here. Ever."_

"_I wasn't planning on it."_

* * *

"Widen your stance, and turn to the right."

"Like this?" Raichu asked.

"Put your paws together. Now, focus."

"Focus? On what?"

"Watch me." Sasuke said, turning to Sakura.

"I think she already likes you, you probably don't need to use Attract."

"That's not the point. Sakura, stay still."

"Got it."

Sasuke sighed, not really in the mood for Attract. But, it _would_ help him find Itachi. After a few hand signs, Sasuke put his hand up to his mouth as if he were about to use a fire jutsu. However, it wasn't fire that came out of his mouth. It was a large yellow-gold heart, which slowly drifted toward Sakura. It struck her in the face before breaking up into smaller hearts, which quickly disappeared. Sakura blinked a few times, and looked up at Sasuke. To finish off the move, Sasuke gave Sakura a smile that most of his fangirls would kill for. After a few seconds, Raichu began to wonder what had happened.

"Well, that didn't really do a whole lo-"

Raichu was cut off by the sound of Sakura's squealing. She practically tackled Sasuke, and refused to let go. Her eyes were now heart-shaped, which just added to the rather scary effect of the scene.

"…I stand corrected. That's amazing!"

"That's how you do it." Sasuke said, his face returning to its usual blank self. "I can make it better, though. That one was weak."

"Weak? How much better can it get?"

"I can make it move much faster, and last much longer."

"This… This is like a dream come true!" Raichu yelled. "So, what are you going to do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"She's… hanging all over you, in case you didn't notice."

Indeed she was. Sakura was practically on top of Sasuke, who looked completely unfazed by the situation. The only time he showed any sign of noticing was when she tried to pull off his shirt, or anything else.

"It'll wear off eventually."

"You're just going to leave her like that? You can't reverse the affects?"

"I could. It would probably be painful, though. It'll wear off soon enough, it doesn't matter. You try it."

"On who?"

Sasuke glanced around before spotting a Beedrill flying toward them.

"How about that?" Sasuke asked, pointing at the Pokémon.

"Hey, it's Beedrill! HI!" Raichu yelled, jumping up and down.

"Raichu! I'm going to kill you, you little rat!" She screamed.

"What did I do?" He asked.

"You've kept the whole group waiting, you little runt! You and those other two!"

Raichu flinched, knowing that Beedrill wasn't joking when she said she'd 'kill' him.

"Don't hurt me!" Raichu yelled, running behind Sasuke.

"Use Attract. That should stop her."

Raichu stepped back out in front of Beedrill, and put his paws together.

"Now, focus your energy between your paws." Sasuke said. "It's like using thunderbolt. You focus the energy to your cheeks to do that, don't you?"

Raichu stood completely still, staring at the empty space between his paws. He focused as hard as he could, still feeling unsure of himself.

"Hurry up, she's getting closer."

Raichu looked up to see that Beedrill was only a few seconds away. A heart formed between his paws, which Beedrill accidentally flew into. Raichu shut his eyes when she finally ran into him, waiting for something extremely painful to strike him in the stomach. Nothing happened, much to his surprise. When he opened his eyes, Beedrill's eyes were heart-shaped, and she seemed to be completely content with staring at him.

"Good. You did it." Sasuke said. "Now, about Itachi…"

"Oh, right… I think I saw someone like that go off into the forest." Raichu lied.

"The forest?"

"Yeah, back that way." He said, pointing into the maze of trees.

"Sakura, let's go."

Sasuke walked off into the forest, while Sakura did her best to stay completely attached to him.

"Well, Beedrill… I guess we should go back now?"

* * *

"Hey, there they are!"

"Beedrill, Raichu… You're back."

Raichu walked up to Itachi, while Beedrill followed close behind. Itachi put Beedrill back in her Pokéball, and was annoyed when Raichu refused to get in.

"Return!"

Raichu shook his head, and ran up to Konan. He took Eevee's Pokéball off of her belt, and released her.

"_Raichu? What do you want?"_

"_I've gotta show Itachi this move I learned!"_

"_What move?"_

"_Attract!"_

"_You're using me as a test subject? Don't think I'll fall for it, stupid."_

"_Famous last words!"_ Raichu laughed, getting into position.

"Raichu, what are you doing?" Itachi asked.

After a few minutes of focusing, Raichu finally managed to shape another heart between his paws. He pushed it into Eevee's face, and watched as it separated into smaller hearts.

"What was that?" Konan asked.

Eevee's eyes went blank, before changing into hearts. She tackled Raichu, and pretty much refused to let him get up.

"Attract." Itachi said. "He refused to hit girls earlier."

"This could be a way to stop them, un."

"Exactly. That's a good strategy."

"_Rai!"_

"Now, return."

* * *

A/N: Okay, we're finally leaving Maiden's peak. That only lasted… three more chapters than I wanted it to. Oh, well.

And Raichu can actually learn Attract. I have one that knows it in my Pokémon Pearl team. It's pretty convenient.

Anyway, any problems with Rocketshipping? I hope not.


	30. Memories and giant trees

A/N: Okay, so here's the deal. Since everyone left _after_ Ash's group, I'm sort of skipping the 'bye bye Butterfree' episode. (Most of it, anyway. I kind of mention it in here.) That's the episode where Ash's Butterfree leaves. I kinda wanted to keep Konan's Butterfree around. So, this chapter isn't really based off of any episode. But, it's kinda important to the plot… so, yeah.

* * *

"Hey… Itachi?" Konan asked.

"Hm?"

"What happened to you back there? You overused your sharingan or something?"

"Oh. Yes."

"How? What the heck attacked you?"

"Ghastly attacked. It was quite strong. It stopped when the sun began rising, like last time."

"You wasted that much of your sharingan on that, un?"

"It was powerful. It wasn't an easy fight."

"_Waaaaaaahhhh!"_

"…What was that…?"

"_I can't believe… Butterfree's gone! It's good… right? Maybe it'll come back? I… I'll miss it…"_

After taking a few more steps down the road, the three ninjas saw something walking toward them. It looked like a small child riding on top of something, though none of them could tell what.

"That kid is crying?" Konan asked.

"Sounds like it, un. Let's keep going."

Konan ignored Deidara, and went to check on the kid. Deidara and Itachi reluctantly followed her, wondering how long this was going to take.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Huh?"

The kid wiped the tears from his eyes, and looked up at Konan.

"I'm fine… but… my Butterfree is gone."

"Do you need help finding it?"

Deidara groaned in protest. Who cared about this kid, and his Pokémon? They had other things to do!

"No, I… I let it go." The kid explained. "It's mating season, see? I let my Butterfree go so it could start a family."

"Oh… I wish we'd known that. I could've let my Butterfree go, too…"

Deidara looked down at the Pokémon the child was riding on before a wide grin crossed his face.

"What are you smiling about?" Itachi demanded.

"That's… that's a Pokémon, isn't it?" Deidara asked, pointing down.

"Yes. Why?"

Deidara squatted to get down to the Pokémon's eye-level. It looked at him, wondering what the hell he wanted.

"Sasori no Danna…"

"That's a Hiruko, not a Sasori." Konan corrected. "Sasori no Danna is the evolved form, and Sasori is its pre-evolution."

"Same thing, un. Sasori no Danna, you're a Pokémon now, huh?"

"You know my grandma's Pokémon?" The little boy asked.

"I guess you could say that, un."

"Hiruko, you know this guy?" The kid continued.

"_Ko…"_

"If you're a Pokémon, and I'm a human… I guess we know who the better artist is, don't we, un?"

Hiruko growled, and wrapped his tail around the child on his back. After making sure he was safely on the ground, Hiruko looked back at Deidara.

"Hiruko? What's wrong?" the kid asked.

"Humans are Pokémon masters, right? I rule over you, Sasori no danna. Actually, I guess you should be calling me Danna now, huh? What does your pokédex entry say?"

Name: Hiruko

Species: Puppet shell

Type: Ground/Poison

Evolutionary chain: The evolved form of Sasori. Evolves into Sasori no Danna.

Hiruko are really just a shell, much like Metapod and Kakuna. Sasori evolve into this form to continue growing until they are large enough to come out as Sasori no Danna. This Pokémon is surprisingly skilled in combat, and have a high defense.

00000000000000000000000000

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 3

Defense: 5

Special attack: 4

Special defense: 3

Speed: 2

0000000000000000

Hiruko was not pleased with this random human coming and talking to him like this. Who the hell did he think he was? Deidara began to laugh, which just pushed Hiruko over the edge. His tail began to glow a strange shade of purple as he jabbed it into Deidara's stomach.

"Hiruko, calm down!" The kid yelled. "You didn't have to use Poison Tail on him!"

"Great, now we have to go find a Pokémon center." Itachi said. "You're probably poisoned, Deidara."

"That didn't hurt too badly, I'm fine." Deidara muttered, standing back up.

"That's what they all say. And then the poison kicks in." Konan told him.

"Wait, I have an antidote!" The kid yelled, pulling the medicine out of his bag. "Please, take it! I'm sorry; Hiruko doesn't listen to me sometimes! If grandma were here, she'd be able to control him!"

"_Hiru…"_

"Come on, Hiruko… let's go home, okay?"

Hiruko didn't really look happy about leaving this stupid human without teaching him a lesson. But, he obeyed the little boy, and picked him back up with his tail. After the boy was sitting on his back, Hiruko began to walk down the path once again.

"Really, though. That didn't hurt. I'm fine, un. I don't think I'm poi-" Deidara said again.

"Shut up and take this antidote." Konan interrupted.

"I don't need it."

"Stubborn little…"

* * *

"We're stopping here for the night." Itachi said.

"Um… It's not that late yet. We don't have to stop." Konan muttered.

"This forest is dangerous at night. We shouldn't be walking through it."

"I can see the city skyline up ahead, come on!"

"It's getting dark. It'll be pitch black by the time we get there."

"Fine…"

"Take out your Pokémon. If there are more of us, we're less likely to be attacked by wild Pokémon."

"Okay… Come on out, everybody!"

* * *

"Where do you think _you're_ going, Raichu?" Eevee growled.

Raichu turned around to see Eevee glaring at him.

"Into the forest." He replied.

"Our trainers told us to stay here."

"Hey, I have to use the bathroom! I'm not holding it until morning."

"Oh." Eevee muttered, taken aback by his answer. "Get back here fast. We don't wanna be attacked."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sure I know this forest better than you do."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I lived here before Itachi caught me. I think I know my way around."

"You lived… here? In this forest?"

"Yep."

"Huh…"

Raichu waited a few more seconds to make sure Eevee was done talking, and then went off into the trees.

* * *

"Butterfree… Butterfree, get up!"

"…Hm…? Eevee? What's wrong?"

"Raichu went into the forest and hasn't come back… It's been twenty minutes!"

"He'll be back… just… go back to sleep."

"But Itachi is going to kill us if he doesn't come back!"

"Why would Itachi be mad at _us_?"

"I don't know, I just think he'll be mad."

"What do you want to do? Look for him?"

"Drag him back here and tie him down! If he runs off for the whole night, we'll spend the whole day looking for him tomorrow!"

"…Fine… Let's go." Butterfree sighed, pushing herself up. "Which way?"

"This way." Eevee said, trotting into the trees.

"What if we don't find him?" Butterfree asked.

"Then we'll come back and sleep. I'm just saying that he shouldn't be gone this long going to the _bathroom_!"

"Twenty minutes for the bathroom? That _is_ weird."

Strangely enough, they couldn't seem to find Raichu anywhere. They looked behind every tree, and down every ditch. After a while, neither of them could even see the camp anymore.

"…Eevee, did you hear something…?" Butterfree asked.

"I thought that was you."

"N-no."

"_Hello ladies._"

Eevee and Butterfree turned around to see a Haunter floating just behind them.

"OH MY GOD!" Butterfree screamed.

"RUN FOR IT!"

The two of them took off deeper into the forest, hoping that Haunter wouldn't catch up to them.

"I knew this was a bad idea!" Eevee whined. "We're gonna die!"

"No we're not! Just… keep running!"

A few seconds later the two of them quite literally ran into a very familiar face.

"What the heck are you doing?" Raichu yelled, pushing himself up.

"Save us!" Eevee cried, hiding behind him.

"From what?"

"A-a-a-a… H-Haunter!" Butterfree clarified.

Raichu turned around to see what the problem was. Just as Butterfree had said, a Haunter came floating toward them.

"You guys are afraid of _that_?"

"It's gonna eat us!" Eevee screeched.

Raichu sighed and looked up at Haunter, who truly did look rather threatening.

"Back off, Haunter." Raichu said calmly.

"You've been gone for a while, Raichu." Haunter teased. "I bet you've lost your touch."

"Really?" Raichu laughed, letting his cheeks spark.

"You're living with a human now, aren't you? I can smell it."

"That doesn't mean I've forgotten how to fight, you know."

"Humans are weak, Raichu. You're pathetic."

Raichu's cheeks began to spark even more until it became a full-force thunderbolt. Raichu shot it toward Haunter, who was severely injured by the shock.

"That guy is all talk. He's such a baby!" Raichu huffed.

"As cocky as ever, aren't you?" Haunter laughed.

"Yeah, well, what can I say?"

The two of them began to laugh, leaving Eevee and Butterfree confused.

"Don't worry about him, he's just messing with us." Raichu said, walking away.

"O-okay… Now that we're done with that, let's go back to camp!" Eevee squeaked.

"No way!" Raichu yelled. "I came here to see all my ladies!"

"What?"

"Hey, I had a life here, you know! Come on, I'll introduce you guys!"

"Wait, we have to go ba-!"

Raichu was gone before Butterfree and Eevee could protest. They followed his path until they found him standing at the base of a large tree.

"Hey! Anybody home?" Raichu yelled.

After a few seconds, a Vulpix popped out of one of the many holes in the tree.

"Raichu? Is that you?"

"The one and only! How've you been, Vulpix? Long time, no see!"

"_Hey, guys! Raichu's back!"_

Multiple Pokémon –all of them female- began to come out of the tree, and ran down to see Raichu.

"You, sir, are a mess!" One of the Pokémon said. Eevee and Butterfree turned to see a Ninetales, who looked rather disappointed in Raichu.

"What? A mess? How am I a mess, I look fine!" Raichu argued.

"Come here!" Ninetales demanded, pulling Raichu closer.

"What are you doing?"

Raichu's question was answered when Ninetales began to clean him up with her tongue.

"I don't need a bath, woman!" Raichu protested.

"Quiet. You smell like humans and flowery cleaning products."

"Hey, Raichu!"

Raichu turned around to the best of his ability, since he was still being washed.

"Hi, Jolteon. Where are Vaporeon and Flareon?"

"They're coming. Who are these two?" She asked, walking up to Butterfree and Eevee.

"I've been traveling with this trainer lately, and those two belong to my trainer's friend."

"They don't look like your type, Raichu." Jolteon said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Eevee yelled.

"You're with a trainer?" Ninetales asked. "That's where you've been all this time?"

"Hey, it's pretty cool, actually! There's so much stuff to see in the world!"

"_You don't miss us?"_

Raichu looked up at the tree to see Vaporeon and Flareon, who looked insulted.

"Of course I missed you guys! Come down here, will you?"

The two of them practically jumped off the tree, and went up to Raichu.

"You travel with a trainer now? Tell us about him!"

"Yeah!"

"Uh… Just wait until Ninetales is done, okay?"

"Okay!"

"I'm almost done; it's just this stupid flowery scent." Ninetales said, releasing Raichu from her grasp.

"Okay, so you guys wanna hear about Itachi?" Raichu asked.

"Yeah! Story time, story time, story time!" Vulpix chanted, jumping up on Ninetales' back. Ninetales went over to the base of the tree and lay down, letting all the other Pokémon use her as a backrest.

"Okay, where to start?" Raichu asked. "Itachi is a pretty nice guy, even if he seems like kind of a jerk. He's got this really long black hair that's tied up in a ponytail… His eyes are red, and he doesn't talk very much… Oh, he sometimes travels with these two other trainers."

"There are three of them?" Ninetales asked. "No wonder you smell so much."

"Yeah, there are two more. One of them is named Deidara, and he's got this blonde hair that kinda makes him look like a girl."

"He does _not_ look like a girl!" Eevee yelled.

"Alright, alright… The third is named Konan, and her boobs are _huge_! Seriously, they're gigantic! They're the size of a couple of ghastly! They're so soft and comfortable… They make nice pillows."

Eevee and Butterfree paled, wondering what Konan would think of this.

"Enough about the humans." A Wigglytuff said. "We wanna hear about _you_. How's life been?"

"Life's been… pretty good. You know, a lot less ladies, but a lot more fights."

"No ladies? Raichu, how are you still _alive_?" Vaporeon asked.

"I didn't say there weren't _any_, I just said there were less."

"Oh, yeah. You've got those two." Flareon said, pointing at Butterfree and Eevee.

"Them? No, I think they'd kill me if I tried anything."

"You got that right." Eevee huffed.

"Well, you've gotta miss the ladies, don't you?" Vulpix asked.

"Duh."

"I can fix that." Jolteon said, pushing her face up against his.

"Of course you can." Raichu replied.

"I think… I'm gonna go back to camp." Butterfree squeaked.

"Eeewww... Me too."

* * *

"Raichu? Where are you?" Itachi asked, glancing around the camp. "Butterfree and Eevee are gone, too…"

So, Itachi went off into the forest to look for the missing Pokémon. After a few minutes, he ran into Eevee and Butterfree, who were just heading back to camp.

"Where is Raichu?" He demanded.

Butterfree and Eevee looked at each other, and shrugged. They continued walking back to camp, leaving Itachi in the woods.

"_We could've just shown him where Raichu is." _Eevee said.

"_Well… let's just let him have a night off, you know? It's been a while since he's been here._"

"_Fine…"_

So, the two Pokémon went back to sleep, wondering if Itachi would keep searching or not.

* * *

"_Yahiko. You're the leader, and you will die here today. If you don't, the girl will get it. You, with the red hair! Use this to kill him."_

_Konan watched Nagato bend down, and pick up the kunai Hanzo had given him._

"_Don't do it, Nagato! Don't worry about me! Take Yahiko and get out of here! Please!"_

"_Nagato. Kill me."_

"_Yahiko?"_

"_Kill me! Nagato, do it!"_

"_No!" Konan screamed. "You can't!"_

_Yahiko could see Nagato hesitating. Nagato wouldn't do it. Violence was hardly an option with Nagato. Violence against a friend was completely out of the question. Yahiko would have to finish this himself. He ran at Nagato, and forced his hand to drive the kunai into his stomach._

"_You two… You and Konan… You've gotta survive… Only you can do this… You're the messiah of this world."_

_Nagato stayed silent, watching his friend drop to the ground. Yahiko was dead, and Nagato couldn't help but feel like it was his fault._

" _Alright, boys! Kill the red-head, too!" Hanzo commanded._

_Kunai filled the air like some kind of deadly rain, all aimed at Nagato. He watched them carefully, and pushed them all away at the last second. They changed course, landing across the field._

"_He… repelled them? How?"_

_Nagato jumped up at Hanzo, pushing him away from Konan. Paper bombs began to rise from the ground, climbing up his legs. He pulled Konan up, and jumped back to Yahiko's side, throwing her to safety just as the bombs detonated. Everyone seemed amazed that Nagato was still standing, with his legs so damaged._

"_Nagato…" Konan muttered._

"_Stay with Yahiko." He told her, putting his hands together._

"_What are you doing?"_

"_Kill them all!" Hanzo yelled._

"_Yes, sir!"_

"_Kuchiyose Gedo Mazo!" Nagato said, pushing his palm into the ground._

"_Nagato, don't! No!" Konan screamed._

_Konan's plea came too late, and Nagato's jutsu had already begun. A horrible figure began to rise from the ground, pulling itself over Nagato. It put its arms out to prop itself up, crushing enemies in the process. Once it had risen out of the earth, a black rod began to extend from its chest, and toward Nagato. It drove itself into his back, breaking skin and cracking bones. It was a sickening sound, even if it was being drowned out by Nagato's screams. The figure opened its mouth, releasing long snake-like spirits onto the battlefield. They flew at enemies, tearing through their bodies, and ripping out their souls. Enemies dropped like flies, none being spared. Once they had all fallen, the snakes disappeared, along with the statue. However, the rods that had been pushed into Nagato remained._

* * *

"No!"

Konan jumped up, frantically looking around the campsite. There were no dead bodies. It wasn't raining. Nobody was screaming. Even so… it had felt too real. Tears fell down her face. She didn't feel safe, even now. She pushed her sleeping bag off, and went over to the other side of the dead campfire, where the Pokémon were sleeping. She fell to her knees at Yahiko's side, and shook him awake.

"Y-Yahiko-san? Please, wake up… Please."

Yahiko opened his eyes, and looked up at Konan. She was crying? Despite being half-asleep and annoyed, Yahiko pushed himself up, and waited for Konan to say something. She stayed silent, and buried her face in his shoulder. He put his arm around her, and wondered what the heck was going on.

"_What happened?"_

Yahiko looked over at Nagato, who had also been woken up by all of this commotion.

"_I have no idea."_

"Nagato-san…" Konan whispered, looking up at him. There were no rods sticking out of his back. No screaming. His legs were fine. The only unhealthy look about him was the dark circles under his eyes, which would probably vanish after a little more sleep. She grabbed his cloak and yanked him down to his knees, pulling him into this rather confusing group hug.

"_Is she okay?"_

"_Like I said before, I have no idea."_

* * *

A/N: That was kinda fun to write! See you next time!


	31. Sabrina and the mysterious little girl

A/N: This… was THE WEIRDEST episode ever! It was SCARY! I don't understand how I watched this when I was little without getting nightmares or something. Seriously.

* * *

"Raichu!"

"…_Rai…?"_

Raichu stretched his arms, and looked down the side of the tree. Itachi was glaring up at him, angry that he had left.

"_Hello, there."_

"_Huh?"_

Raichu looked further down the branch to see a Gastly.

"_Your trainer is down there." _It told him.

"_Yeah, I can see that. But… Who are you?"_

"_Does it matter?"_

"_Um… Well, I guess I just find it creepy that you were sitting there watching me sleep."_

"_I'm a Gastly, as you can see. What else do you need to know?"_

"_Why are you here?"_

"_Why not? Life is labyrinth, my friend. Explore every place you can. Life shouldn't be wasted. Your trainer looks angry."_

"_Yes. Yes he does."_

"_Life can't be wasted like that."_

"_Well, I don't really know what to tell you. He's always like that._

Gastly disappeared a few moments later, ignoring Raichu's warning. Itachi could see exactly where he was, thanks to his sharingan. He floated down in front of Itachi's face and re-appeared, sticking his tongue out. Itachi ignored him, and looked back up at Raichu.

"_He's not scared of me?"_ Gastly asked. _"That's a first!"_

"_He can see you even when you're invisible."_ Raichu told him.

"_Wow!"_

"_Hey, the sun is coming up, you know… Shouldn't you… get out of here?"_

"_Why? The sun is beautiful!"_

"_I thought ghost Pokémon hated the sun."_

"_Most of them do, but I think it's great! It's so warm and wonderful!"_

"_Oh… Well, have fun in the sun! I gotta get going before Itachi kills me."_

"_I'm coming with you."_

"…_What…?"_

"_This trainer looks so sad and angry. Life shouldn't be wasted feeling that way! Life needs to be enjoyed to the fullest!"_

"_Okay, then."_

Raichu jumped out of the tree, and waved too all the Pokémon he was leaving in the tree. They looked sad to see him go, and told him to visit again sometime. Itachi put him back in his Pokéball, and began to walk back to camp, annoyed with the Gastly that was following him. He did his best to ignore the Pokémon, and succeeded until he got back to camp.

"Where's Konan?" Itachi asked.

"Uh I don't know… She's not in her sleeping bag, un." Deidara said, looking down at the ground.

"What? Where did she go?"

"Give me a minute, I'll look for her." Deidara muttered, putting his hair up in its usual fashion.

Gastly left Itachi's side, becoming invisible once again. Floating up to Deidara, he wondered if this human could still see him, too. He made himself visible again, and watched Deidara's face pale.

"What the hell, un?" Deidara yelled, falling back.

"That Gastly has been following me all morning." Itachi said.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Does it belong to you?"

"No. It's a wild Pokémon."

"Make it go away; we can't have it following us!"

"I do need a ghost type Pokémon, actually…" Itachi muttered.

"Catch it, then!"

Itachi threw a Pokéball at Gastly, and was surprised when it didn't struggle at all.

"That… was easy."

"Yeah. Let's find Konan now." Deidara said, pushing himself back up.

It didn't take long to find her. Itachi and Deidara went over to fetch their sleeping Pokémon, which was exactly where Konan was.

"What's she doing… over here, un?"

Konan was sleeping on the ground, with Yahiko right behind her. His arm was hanging loosely around her waist, and Deidara thought it looked like they were spooning. Nagato was a few inches away, sleeping on his stomach. Konan's hand was wrapped tightly around his, and showed no sign of letting go.

"Konan? Hey, get up." Deidara said, shaking her.

"I'm already up." She whispered, opening her eyes.

"Did you sleep last night? You look like you didn't." Itachi said.

"Bad night." She told him.

"Nagato-san and Yahiko-san don't look like they've been sleeping much, either."

"I think I kept them up."

Konan rolled out of Yahiko's grasp, and pushed herself up. Yahiko and Nagato woke up after she was on her feet, and tried to adjust to the bright morning sun.

"They have a phone in the next town, right?" Konan asked.

"I should hope so."

"I need to call Jiraiya." She said, fighting back a yawn.

"What for, un?"

"I need… to ask him a few things."

"How long did you sleep last night?" Itachi asked, changing the subject back.

"I don't know… I woke up in the middle of the night, I haven't slept since."

"Go back to sleep."

"No, we have to get to the next town."

"Konan."

"What?"

Konan looked over at Itachi, whose sharingan began to spin. She swayed, and fell to the side. Yahiko caught her, making sure she wouldn't have a hard landing.

"Did you use hypnosis on her?" Deidara asked.

"She needs to sleep."

"So, we're staying here until her nap is over?"

"Someone can give her a piggyback ride." Itachi said, going to find his other Pokémon. Raichu was already in his Pokéball, so Itachi only had to find three of his other Pokémon. After putting Beedrill and Ivysaur away, Itachi found his last Pokémon. It was sleeping next to Konan's Nidoran, and looked rather happy.

"What kind of Pokémon is that?" Deidara asked.

"A Nidorino. It's the evolved form of Nidoran."

"H-hey! Where did you get it?" Deidara demanded.

"Near Konoha. Why?"

"Was it a Nidoran?"

"Yes. It evolved recently."

"Some lady down there was complaining that someone stole a Nidoran!"

"I didn't _steal_ it."

"She gave us that girl Nidoran, and told us to find her brother. I think that might be it."

"In that case, congratulations. You found it. But, we have to get going. Nidorino, return."

Nidorino didn't even wake up when it was put back in its Pokéball. Deidara put most of Konan's Pokémon back for her. Nagato and Yahiko refused to get in. Nagato carried her bag while Yahiko took Itachi's suggestion, and gave Konan a piggyback ride.

"I wonder what was so bad about last night." Deidara said.

"Who knows? As long as she sleeps for a while, she'll be fine."

* * *

"So, this is the way to Saffron City, Misty?" Ash yelled. "Nice job, getting us lost!"

"What? Your sense of direction is so bad; you can't find yourself in a mirror, Ash!"

"Guys, do you really wanna stand here and insult each other all day?" Brock asked.

"YES, WE DO!"

"Well then, why don't we just do that all the time? Waste our lives arguing, huh? Brilliant idea! If I have to listen to you two yell at each other anymore, I'm gonna explode!"

"You three are very loud."

Ash, Brock and Misty looked over at Itachi, who was walking toward them.

"Seriously, un." Deidara agreed.

"Are you guys lost, too?" Misty asked.

"No."

"You know where Saffron City is?"

"It's just up ahead."

"_Hehehehehe!"_

Everyone looked at the source of the strange laughter, which was a small girl. She wore a large white dress with pink lace, and a matching hat. In her hands she held a white ball.

"Hey, it's a girl." Ash said, stating the obvious. "Do you know how to get to Saffron City?"

"_Hehehehe!"_

The girl began to run off into the forest, laughing all the way. Ash chased after her, demanding directions.

"Come ba-AAAAH!"

Ash dug his heels into the ground, trying to stop himself from moving any further. His eyes widened with fear as he began to fall over a cliff, which the little girl had led him into.

"Bulbasaur, go!"

Bulbasaur jumped out of its Pokéball, and caught Ash in its vines.

"Ash, are you okay?" Brock asked, standing behind Bulbasaur.

"I'm fine… I think."

Bulbasaur pulled him back up, and put Ash safely on the ground.

"We'll never find Saffron City…"

"Don't be so sure, Ash. Look there!" Brock said, pointing off the cliff. Down below was Saffron city, and the view from here was gorgeous.

"Let's go, then, un." Deidara muttered.

* * *

"CONGRATULATIONS!"

"Huh?"

The group had just walked into the city, and was now being congratulated by a couple of women.

"You've won a prize!" One of them announced. The two ladies came up to Ash and kissed him on the cheeks, making him blush.

"A prize? Why? We just walked into town!"

"You're the one millionth visitor!" The other told him, throwing a necklace of leis around his neck.

"Really? What did we win?"

"Come with us!"

"I'd point out that that's Team Rocket, but nobody would listen, would they?" Deidara asked.

"Who cares, let's go!" Ash yelled.

The women led them into a building and picked up Pikachu.

"Your prize will appear before you if you'd kindly step on that large colorful floor tile!"

"What are you doing with Pikachu?" Ash asked.

The two women shoved everyone onto the tile, and watched them disappear.

"That was easy, Jessie!"

* * *

"Oooh… That hurt." Ash moaned, pushing himself up. "Where are we?"

All of them had been transported into a small white room, with no windows or doors.

"Where are all the prizes?"

A television monitor came down from the ceiling, with the two women on the screen.

"Prepare for televised trouble!"

"Make it back-to-back double!"

"To protect the world from really bad ratings!"

"To unite all peoples on one station!"

"To announce the lineup of news and love!"

"To extend our audience to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket televises at the speed of light!"

"This show is really boring." Ash interrupted.

"Ash, that's Team Rocket!" Misty yelled.

Jessie and James glared at Ash, and took off their disguises.

"Recognize us _now_?"

"Team Rocket… EW! They both kissed me! Aw, gross!" Ash whined, scrubbing his cheeks with his sleeves. "Gimme back my Pikachu!"

"Gimme gimme never gets!" Jessie teased, moving aside. Behind her was Pikachu, who was being restrained by Meowth. Before Jessie and James could make any threats, the transmission was interrupted, leaving the T.V. screen fuzzy.

* * *

"Turn it back on!" Meowth yelled.

"Nothing's working!" James complained.

"Hey… Jess?"

"Not now, Meowth!"

"Jess, who's the kid?"

Jessie turned around, and saw a little girl standing behind Meowth. She was the same girl from the forest, who had almost caused Ash to fall off a cliff.

"Hey… You can't just walk in here, you know." James told her. "How did you get in?"

"_Hehehehe!"_

The girl vanished, leaving Team Rocket feeling very confused.

"Where'd she go? How'd she do that?"

* * *

"Hey… How is _she _sleeping through all this?" Brock yelled, pointing at Konan, who was indeed still asleep.

"Hypnosis." Itachi explained.

"Get her up! This is dangerous!" Misty said.

Nagato and Yahiko turned around, and tried to wake her. After a few minutes of failure, Itachi pulled a Pokéball off Deidara's belt.

"This is Tobi's Pokéball, right?"

"Uh… Yeah, un."

"Wake-up slap." Itachi instructed, releasing Tobi.

"_To-bi!"_

Tobi grabbed Konan, and began to slap her quite hard. It only took two slaps to wake her up, which she wasn't happy about.

"OW! What the hell was that for?" She screamed.

Yahiko gave Tobi a hard kick in the face for hurting Konan, and watched him jump back in his Pokéball.

"…Where are we…?"

"In a room with no way out." Itachi told her.

"Yeah, about that… How are we gonna get out of here?" Ash asked.

"_Hehehehe!"_

"How did _she_ get in?"

The little girl who had gotten into Team Rocket's control room was now standing in front of Ash and his friends. Everyone backed away when her eyes began to glow.

"That's no ordinary little girl!" Misty cried.

A blue aura surrounded the group, and they were suddenly transported outside.

"How'd we get out here?"

"We're outside?" Brock asked. "But… There's nobody here. This town is completely empty!"

"Who cares, let's go to the gym!" Ash laughed.

"You have a very one-track mind." Misty muttered.

"Come on!"

"_Hey, kid."_

"Huh?"

A strange man jogged up to the trainers, covering his eyes with his hands.

"If you're trying to get into the Pokémon league… This is one gym I suggest you skip."

"Skip? I have to battle here to-"

The man jogged off, ignoring Ash's excuses.

"Okay, then. You heard the man, Ash. Let's get out of here." Brock said.

"No way, I have to face this gym!"

The man and his warnings had made Deidara curious, too. What could possibly be so bad about _this_ gym?

"Yeah, let's go, un."

"_You_ want to go?" Itachi asked.

"What's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

"Hello?" Ash yelled, opening the doors.

"The place is empty…" Misty muttered. "Where is everybody?"

"The town is empty, so this doesn't surprise me." Konan said.

The confused trainers walked around until they found a door. On the top was a window, which Ash and Misty decided to look through. Inside was a bunch of people who were staring very intently at some spoons, and other metal objects.

"_Who are you?"_

Ash and Misty stopped looking in the window, and noticed a tall boy wearing a hospital mask. His hair was pulled back in a very spiky ponytail. It looked a lot like Jessie's hair, if Jessie's hair had a tie in it. However, this was not Jessie.

"Uh… We're here to challenge the gym leader." Ash said.

"I suggest you leave." The boy told them.

"Why?"

"Do you possess telekinetic powers?"

"Tele… what?"

"Let me demonstrate."

The boy took a spoon out of his pocket, and began to stare at it. He concentrated so hard, that his face turned red.

"A-are you okay?" Konan asked.

The spoon he was staring at suddenly started to bend, and the boy finally began to breathe again.

"Do you know how to bend spoons with your mind?"

"I can bend spoons my own way!" Ash huffed, snatching the spoon from his hand. He bent it further with his hands. "Brawn over brains!"

"You can't expect to defeat Sabrina if you don't have telekinetic powers."

"I don't have to have those to beat her!"

"Fine."

The boy began to walk away, and waited for everyone to follow him. He led them into a large room, with a battling arena in the middle.

"This isn't a gym… This place feels like a temple." Misty squeaked.

"This is much different than the other gyms." Itachi agreed.

"Lady Sabrina… These strangers have come to challenge you." The boy said, kneeling on the arena. "I don't know why you'd waste your time on these losers."

Suddenly, a blue aura surrounded the boy, and he began to choke.

"I-I'm sorry, Lady Sabrina! It's not my choice who you battle! Please, have mercy! Please!"

The aura faded, and the boy ran from the room as fast as he could, leaving everyone feeling rather intimidated.

"S-Sabrina? I'd like… to demand an official battle!" Ash said, trying to sound strong.

"_Very well…"_

* * *

A/N: That was a quick update, right? Next one will be fast, too! I have the next two or three chapters planned out!


	32. The Great Pokemon War

A/N: Again… Really. Creepy. Episode.

* * *

"So, you'll battle me? Good!"

Behind the battle arena was a curtain, which began to rise. A little girl sat on what looked like a throne, holding a Pokéball.

"_It'll be a one-on-one match."_

"H-hey! Ash, that's the little girl from before! The one who saved us!" Misty yelled.

"You're Sabrina?" Ash asked.

"_Yes… You want a battle? Okay! A one-on-one battle… But, only on one condition."_

"What's that?"

"_If you lose, you have to be my friends, and play with me!"_

"Uh… sure!"

"ASH!" Misty yelled.

"What? She's a little girl; of course she wants someone to play with. What's your problem?"

"Don't you remember? She's not a normal little girl!"

"Stop being so paranoid."

"_Go, Abra! Hehehe!"_

The pokéball floated out of the girl's hands, and released Abra. Pikachu jumped out to fight for Ash, and went up to its psychic opponent. Abra didn't move, even as Pikachu began to run around it.

"_Pi-Pikachu!"_

"Abra is asleep? Who sends a sleeping Pokémon out for battle? Are you making fun of me?"

"_No."_

The little girl rose from her seat, and began to float. Another person got up behind her. She was much taller, and looked much scarier.

"Hey, who's that?" Ash asked.

"I am Sabrina."

"But… That little girl-"

"Quiet. Start the battle. It's your move first."

"Uh… Pikachu, Thundershock!"

"_Pika! Pika-CHUUUUU!"_

Abra disappeared, leaving Pikachu's Thundershock without a target. It hit the ground, and Abra reappeared behind Pikachu.

"It teleported!" Misty exclaimed.

"_Abra. Use teleport and dodge everything."_

Try as he might, Pikachu couldn't land an attack. Abra would teleport to somewhere else in the room, and remain completely unharmed.

"This is no good… Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

Abra teleported again, and began to glow.

"Don't tell me it's evolving in the middle of the match!" Brock yelled.

"I thought this was a one-on-one battle!" Ash whined.

"Evolving during a match isn't against the rules." Misty told him.

"Kadabra can do more than just teleport. Be careful." Itachi said.

"A Kadabra? That's the evolved form of Abra, huh? Well, at least it's awake. Pikachu, fill the whole room with lightning! It can't escape if there's no room!"

"_Pika!"_

Thundershock was taken to a whole new level, throwing a huge disc of electricity into the ceiling. It exploded, and began to rain down on the battling Pokémon.

"Yeah, good job, Pikachu!"

Just before the attack hit Kadabra, it began to come together into one huge lightning bolt. It suddenly turned away, and began to chase Pikachu, who made a run for it. The lightning was too fast for the poor Pokémon, and it hit him in the tail. He collapsed, and began to glow. Pikachu stood back up, and started to dance.

"Hey, look! Pikachu feels like dancing!" Ash laughed.

"Ash, Kadabra is controlling Pikachu with its psychic abilities!"

"Huh?"

"_Finish it off, Kadabra."_

Pikachu was lifted off the ground, and thrown into the ceiling. It barely had time to catch its breath before it was dropped back on the ground. Kadabra kept throwing Pikachu up and down until Ash finally said something.

"Stop the match! Please, stop!" He yelled, running onto the battlefield. He caught Pikachu in his arms, and backed away from Kadabra.

"_You lost… That means you have to play with me!"_ The little girl laughed.

"O-okay, just let me heal my Pikachu!"

"_Nope!"_

The girl's eyes began to glow, and so did the Pokémon trainers.

* * *

"W-where are we this time?" Ash asked.

"I don't know… but it's empty."

"Yeah, there's a surprise." Konan sighed.

"Well, we're standing in front of a house… So, let's go inside. It must be the girl's house, right?" Misty asked.

"I'm sick of being teleported, un!" Deidara whined. "That's the third time today!"

Everyone went inside, and found that the house was empty. However, the dining room table had food on it.

"I guess we're having lunch before out play date." Brock said, sitting in one of the chairs.

"I'm gonna go look around." Ash muttered.

"Me, too." Deidara said, following him into the hallway.

"Hey, is anybody here?" Ash yelled, opening one of the many doors. Inside was a bathroom, which actually had someone in it. It was a blonde woman in a bathtub, which Ash immediately felt horrible about.

"I'M SORRY!" He screamed, turning away.

"_Pi-Pikachu…"_

"Huh?"

Ash looked back in to see that it wasn't a real person. It was a doll.

"ASH! Ash, I don't think you're going to believe this, but… we're doll-sized!" Misty said.

"I know!"

"All the food is plastic!" Brock complained.

"That cake tasted horrible!" Konan added.

"Do you hear something?" Itachi asked.

"What, un?"

The roof of the house suddenly lifted up into the sky, and revealed the little girl who wanted to play. She was huge, since everyone was so tiny.

"_Play with me!"_

"RUN!"

The girl tried to catch her tiny playmates, but they were able to escape the house. This was probably a good thing, as the little girl seemed to be very rough. If she caught them, she would probably kill them by accident.

"_Let's play catch!"_ She said, watching them run into a dead end.

"Catch?" Misty squeaked.

The girl put down the ball she was carrying, and rolled it toward the terrified trainers.

"We're gonna be crushed!"

"Stay behind me."

"Huh?"

The man who had warned Ash about this gym was now standing in front of them, holding his arms out in a defensive position.

"It's you!"

"I'm going to teleport you outside. Got it?"

"Yes!"

* * *

"Fourth time we've been teleported, un." Deidara mumbled.

"We're outside again!" Misty said.

"Let's get to the Pokémon center… I gotta heal Pikachu."

"_Hey, kid."_

"Huh? Oh, it's you. Thanks for getting us out of there… what happened to us, anyway? How did she make us so small?"

"Her psychic powers are enormous… Don't battle her again."

"I have to!"

"No. You're too weak."

"I can take her! I just need more power!"

"Don't you see? You can't beat her without psychic abilities!"

"I've gotta!"

The man put his hand out, and Ash was pushed down by a mysterious force.

"Kid… you don't stand a chance."

"Please… there must be a way!"

"You wouldn't be able to do it."

"A powerful psychic type. Would that do it?" Itachi asked.

"It might."

Suddenly, all eyes were on Nagato. He shrank back, knowing what they wanted.

"Uh… no offence, but I have a better idea." Konan said. Nagato sighed in relief, while Yahiko actually looked insulted.

"Look… I have to beat Sabrina." Ash said, walking up to the man yet again.

"You're one determined kid, aren't you? Alright… let's go to the Pokémon center. I'll tell you the secret."

* * *

"Hey, is Jiraiya there?"

"He's not, actually." Tsunade said.

"Can I call him somewhere? I really need to talk to him."

"He's still in the rain village. He hasn't left."

"Really?"

"The new Yahiko evolutions need to be investigated, so that's what he's doing."

"What's the phone number for that lab?"

"Just hold on, Konan. I'll transfer you."

"Thanks."

The screen went blank for a few seconds, while Tsunade transferred Konan's call. After a few rings, someone picked up the phone. It wasn't Jiraiya.

"…What are those…?" Brock asked.

"I… Don't know."

Two Pokémon stood in front of the screen, looking completely baffled. The first Pokémon had long, orange hair, and the Rinnegan. The second Pokémon had the same eyes and hair color, but the style was different.

"Deidara… This one looks kind of like you." Konan muttered.

"Does not, un."

The two Pokémon seemed to have no idea why there was someone on the screen, and immediately thought there was someone inside the machine. They were about to tear it apart before Pein came up and pulled them away.

"Pein… Is Jiraiya there?"

"_Pei…"_

After leaving the screen for a few seconds, Pein brought Jiraiya back.

"Hey, kid!" He laughed. "What do you need?"

"What kind of Pokémon are those?" Konan asked, ignoring his question.

"Oh, plug your pokédex into the computer for a second, I'll send you their data. The one with the really long hair is called Kein, and the other is Dein. They're two of the new Yahiko evolutions."

"Wow. Are they all connected to Nagato-sama, like Pein?"

"Yep."

"Hey… I actually need something."

"What?"

"You know Hanzo, right?"

"Hanzo of the Salamander? Of course. Who doesn't?"

"That's the one… Is he still alive?"

"Why?"

"I need to know."

"Well, I'd love to answer that… But, nobody knows."

"Huh?"

"You remember the last Great Pokémon War, don't you?"

"Of course."

"He disappeared after that. Nobody knows where he went."

"Oh… O-okay… The second is about Nagato-sama."

"Well, this should be an easy question!"

"When and how did he evolve?"

"I thought I told you this story already."

"Tell me again."

"Alright, alright. Nagato-san evolve into Nagato-sama using the Dawn stone."

"I remember that part."

"Good. What happened was that a lot of Pokémon lived around here, right? There was a huge rainforest, with a little village in the center. That's where you lived.

"I remember that, too. I haven't forgotten everything, you know!"

"Then, the next Great Pokémon War started. The rainforest was always used as a battleground, because it was a good place to hide. The little village got overtaken by warriors who needed rest and such. Then, the village began to expand, and-"

"And it got really huge, and most of the rainforest was burned down during battles. My parents died, and I lived with Nagato and Yahiko. I know."

"Why are you making me tell this story if you remember everything?"

"Cut to the chase!"

"Okay, okay. The Pokémon began to rebel against the warring nations, because they were mad about their habitat destruction. I trained all three of you in the art of battle, and _you_ were on the Pokémon side of this war, since you lived with them."

"You were a jungle girl, un?" Deidara laughed.

"No! I was civilized, you idiot! What, do you think I swung in trees and stuff?"

"Sounds like it."

"I was not! I lived in my house, but the Pokémon were my friends! They brought me food and stuff, and I helped them fight."

"Anyway." Jiraiya interrupted. "If I remember correctly, you had a little Pokémon army, didn't you?"

"Yeah…"

"Yahiko took charge of everyone, though… Right, Pein?"

"_Pei."_

"Then, you were battling one day, and you were losing a match. I think it was against a Machamp…"

"I remember that… The trainer wanted a fight to the death, didn't he?"

"Yeah. Of course, that didn't happen. Yahiko was knocked out, and Nagato was your last Pokémon. You tried to make him stronger by giving him the Dawn Stone and making him evolve. It worked. You won."

"I… wasn't kidnapped, right?"

"…What…?"

"Hanzo… didn't hurt me?"

"Um… N-no. I don't think you've even met Hanzo… why do you ask?"

"I had a really weird dream the other night."

"What happened?"

"Hanzo was threatening to kill me, and Yahiko died… Nagato evolved, but it was… horrible."

"Well, Nagato-san isn't a pretty site when it's evolving. It_ was_ disgusting, you know. That dream wasn't completely wrong. In fact, it was one of the most disgusting things I've seen."

"Huh?"

"You don't remember _that_?"

"Did giant rods get shoved into his back?" Konan asked.

"More like _out_ of his back. Blood was everywhere, it was gross. Then that giant metal body grew out of nowhere. It… wasn't pleasant."

"And… I did that?"

"You just gave him the stone; it's not like you knew what would happen. Besides, I don't think he's still angry about it."

"He was angry about it?"

"I don't know, I just assume. That had to hurt."

"_Pikachu, if we're gonna get that badge, we have to be able to communicate telepathically!"_

Ash walked into the room, holding Pikachu up in front of his face.

"What gym are you guys at?" Jiraiya asked, wondering what Ash was talking about.

"Sabrina in Saffron City… She's tough."

"Pikachu, are you reading my thoughts yet?"

"_Pika…"_

"Ash… Didn't he say you could just catch a ghost type Pokémon?" Brock asked.

"Uh… yeah, but that's all the way in Lavender Town."

"The only way you could possibly do this is if you had a mind-reading Pokémon." Misty mumbled.

"A mind-reading Pokémon, huh?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yeah, I wish." Konan said.

"I have just the thing!" Jiraiya yelled.

"What?"

"Hang on!"

Jiraiya dragged Kein back over to the screen, and pointed at him.

"This guy can read your mind!"

"…Seriously…?"

"Watch! Kein, use Mind Reader."

Kein put his hand on Jiraiya's head, and began to use Mind Reader. Pein and Kein's faces fell as they looked at Jiraiya in disgust. Kein pulled his hand back, and continued to glare at the perverted sage.

"See?"

"What were you thinking about just now?" Konan growled.

"Something for my new book."

"Yeah, that explains it. Hey, can Pein and Kein communicate?" Konan asked, noticing their facial expressions.

"They're both connected to Nagato, so they're connected to each other. They can share images, sounds, and anything else. What do you say? I'll send you Nagato-sama, Pein and Kein. Then, you can challenge the gym!"

"It's a one-on-one battle." Ash told him.

"Hey, send Pein out for battle, and just keep Nagato-sama and Kein for the telepathy!"

"Besides… if she's turning people into dolls, I think I'm allowed to cheat." Konan said.

"She's… what?" Jiraiya asked.

"Don't worry about it, just send me the Pokémon!"

* * *

A/N: Okay… Dein is animal path, Kein is human path, and Pein is God path. Just clarifying for future reference.


	33. The Kyuubi and the Reverse World

A/N: Okay, November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which I decided to try. So, none of my fics are going to be updated during November, sorry! (If they are, that means that some kind of miracle happened.) Also, this chapter is short because I had to finish it before November first. (Or tonight's Halloween party, really.)

* * *

"I'm going to kill that rat." Sasuke growled.

"Sasuke, maybe he-"

"He lied to me, Sakura."

"Or he just made a mistake. It happens. Plus, maybe Itachi is here, and we haven't found him."

"We've looked through most of this forest."

"Most of it. Not all of it."

"We should keep moving. He's probably in the next town by now."

"It's getting dark; don't you think we should stop for the night?"

"That's a waste of time."

"Do you really think you can kill him without any sleep, Sasuke?"

"I'll be fine. I told you to stay out of this."

"So, let me get this straight. We're going to find Itachi without any sleep, and somehow still manage to kill him?"

"Yes."

"Stop being ridiculous. Let's go sleep, and we'll find Itachi first thing in the morning."

* * *

"What do you mean the gym's closed?" Konan asked.

"It's late. Sabrina needs sleep, too. "

"It's not that late…"

"Sabrina needs lots of rest to control her abilities."

"What time can I come back tomorrow?"

"Seven or so."

"Tell her to be ready!"

"Got it."

Konan turned around, and started walking back to the Pokémon center.

"Well… Pein, Kein, Nagato-sama… I guess you guys are staying here for the night."

"_Pei."_

"_Kei."_

"_Naga…"_

"Well, I guess a good night's sleep couldn't hurt, right? Besides, it'd be good to get you guys checked out by Nurse Joy before the gym battle."

Itachi and Deidara were confused when Konan walked in the door.

"That was a quick battle, un. What happened?"

"I didn't battle her; she's gone home for the night."

"Oh."

"Sleep would be good. You didn't get any last night." Itachi pointed out.

"Yeah, that's what I think, too."

Everyone had let their Pokémon out for the night, and Konan decided she should go get changed.

"_I still don't understand why you hate me so much."_ Raichu mumbled.

"_I don't hate you; I think you're a pervert." _Eevee told him._ "There's a difference."_

"_Not much of one. Konan's mentor guy is a pervert, too!"_

"_Not as much as you are."_

"_Have you seen his books?"_

"_No."_

Eevee followed Konan into her room, along with all her other Pokémon. Raichu followed Eevee, and therefore ended up in the same room, where Konan closed and locked the door.

"_Eevee, he's got a point."_ Butterfree said.

"_Oh, stop defending him!"_ Eevee yelled_. "Just because you have a crush on him, too…"_

"_I do not!"_

"_It's perfectly normal, I tend to attract girls!"_ Raichu laughed.

"Hey… Where's my bag?" Konan asked. Yahiko found it behind a lamp, and threw it at her. "Thanks."

"_Well, there's gotta be some way I can make you stop thinking I'm some kind of pervert." _Raichu muttered.

"_You'd have to do something pretty amazing." _Eevee sighed.

"_Like what?"_

"_Uh… guys?"_

"_What is it, Nidoran?" _Butterfree asked.

"_Um… shouldn't Raichu get out of here?" _She asked. "_I mean, Konan's getting changed."_

"_There are… five other guys in the room, you know!"_ Raichu yelled.

"_Yeah, but those are her Pokémon, and they're not perverts. And it's more like three guys. Nagato, Yahiko, and Nagato-sama. Nagato-sama, Kein and Pein are pretty much the same person." _Nidoran said.

"_You think I'm a pervert, too?"_ Raichu asked.

"_N-no! Of course not!"_

"_I think I can handle being in a room with a woman changing! I mean, come on! What kind of sick Pokémon do you think I am?"_

Nobody replied to that. Instead, they waited to see what Raichu would do when Konan was actually getting changed.

* * *

Several moments later:

"_FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, LET ME OUT OF HERE!"_ Raichu screamed, scratching at the locked door.

"_Told you!"_Eevee laughed.

Yahiko and Eevee found Raichu's current situation absolutely hilarious, while Nagato, Butterfree and Nidoran were concerned for his safety. At this rate, he was going to die of one of two things. Blood loss, thanks to the massive nosebleed he currently had, or strangulation by Kein, Pein and Nagato-sama, who were extremely angry.

"_Um… Should we do something?"_ Nidoran asked.

"_No way, he deserves it!"_ Yahiko said.

"_Besides, I don't think we could take those three…"_ Butterfree whispered.

Raichu winced when he felt someone pick him up by his tail. He turned around to the best of his ability to see that it was Pein who was holding him.

"_And you said you weren't a pervert."_ Kein teased.

Pein slipped out the door and closed it behind him, dragging Raichu back into the lobby of the Pokémon center. He dragged Raichu all the way back over to Itachi, and lifted him up to eyelevel.

"_Forget what you just saw."_ Pein growled.

"_What? Once you see something like that, you can't un-see it!"_

"_Forget, or I'll__ make__ you forget."_

"_What's that supposed to mean?"_ Raichu squeaked.

"_Brain damage."_

If all the blood hadn't rushed to Raichu's head, he would've turned pale. However, being upside-down wasn't going to allow that. It also wasn't helping his nosebleed, which was just getting worse. Pein threw Raichu into Itachi's lap before returning to Konan's room.

"…What happened to his face…?" Deidara asked, pointing at the bloody nose.

Raichu stood back up, and noticed that he was now covered in blood, which seemed surprising since it was just a nosebleed. Itachi's new Gastly flew up to Raichu, and removed all the blood with one huge Lick.

"_T-thanks?"_ Raichu muttered, unsure if he should be grateful, or disgusted.

Ivysaur brought Raichu some tissues, which helped make sure that the blood wouldn't get out of hand again.

"_What happened? Did you get beat up?" _Ivysaur asked.

"_No, not really."_

"_So, what happened?"_ Nidorino asked, jumping up on the bench with Raichu.

Raichu leaned over to Nidorino, and whispered in his ear.

"_I saw Konan naked."_

"_WHAT THE HELL?"_

"_Shh! Don't go screaming about it!"_

"_Such is life, my friends." _Gastly sighed.

"_Wait, what happened?" _Ivysaur asked, unable to hear Raichu's whispering.

"_HE SAW KONAN NAKED!" _Nidorino screamed.

"_WHAT?"_

Beedrill happened to hear all this, too. She wasn't particularly happy about it.

"_You saw a human naked and you're happy about it?"_ She asked.

"_I didn't say I was happy! Now, most of her Pokémon want to kill me!"_

"_You're an idiot."_ Beedrill muttered.

"_Shut up!"_

* * *

"C'mon, Sakura! Put some muscle into it!" Naruto commanded.

"Jeez, don't you think you should give them a break?" Jiraiya asked.

"If we're gonna beat the gym leader, we've gotta be tough, dattebayo!"

"Whatever you say… But, don't you think Sasuke should get checked out by Tsunade? That thing on his neck is still there."

"She already looked at it!"

"What'd she say?"

"She said it was dangerous and bad and stuff. But, Sasuke's fine! So, it's okay!"

"_Pix!"_

"Vulpix! Did you get Roar down yet?" Naruto asked.

"_Vul-vulpix!"_

"Show me!"

Vulpix opened its mouth, and tried to use Roar. All that came out was a squeak.

"Not quite… try again!"

"_Vul… piiiiiix!"_

"One more time, Vulpix!"

Vulpix produced a sound that seemed impossible for such a small pokemon.

"Now, that's a Roar!"

"Naruto, I don't think that was Vulpix." Jiraiya said.

"What do you mean?"

A few seconds later, a Pokémon came flying across the road, and smashed into a tree.

"What the heck is that?"

"A Madara…"

Another Pokémon came out after Madara, and it was huge. It was about the size of a house, and its fangs were the size of Naruto's hand. Naruto took out his pokédex to find out what was going on.

Name: Kyuubi

Species: Demon Fox

Type: Fire

Evolutionary chain: This Pokémon does not evolve.

Kyuubi is a demon fox Pokémon, which has destroyed many villages and lives. It is extremely dangerous, and can change its size at will. One sweep of this Pokémon's tail can destroy a small town. Humans should stay away from this Pokémon at all costs.

00000000000000000000000000

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 5

Defense: 4

Special attack: 5

Special defense: 4

Speed: 5

0000000000000000

"A Kyuubi? Didn't the Fourth Hokage fight this thing?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, and it wasn't pretty! Get behind me, Naruto!"

Luckily for Naruto and Jiraiya, the Kyuubi seemed distracted by the Madara it was chasing after. The Madara got back up, only to be thrown further into the forest by the Kyuubi's tail. The two of them disappeared, leaving Jiraiya and Naruto feeling a lot better.

"We should get out of here before it comes back." Jiraiya said.

"Yeah."

* * *

"Hey, Nagato." Yahiko whispered, leaning off the top bunk.

"…What…?" Nagato asked, looking up at him.

"You think Konan will be okay tonight?"

"Why wouldn't she be okay?"

"Last night."

"It was just a bad dream, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, I'm saying she could have it again."

"I hope not."

"Yeah."

"Both of you shut up." Pein growled.

"Y-Yes, sir!"

* * *

"Sasuke-kun! Open the portal!" Orochimaru commanded, knocking on the mirror. It was only a few moments before the mirror started to spin, and pull back into the Reverse World. Orochimaru stepped inside and waited for it to close behind him.

"_Sasu…"_

"Good, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke was standing on top of the head of the mighty Giratina, looking completely unfazed. Giratina barely moved, and wasn't fighting against the human and Pokémon in his domain. His eyes were red, and the sharingan spun around its pupil. Sasuke was in control.

"Let's go find ourselves some crystals, shall we?" Orochimaru asked.

* * *

A/N: Again, sorry for the short and kind of uneventful chapter. I'll see you all in December! Sorry for the wait, but NaNoWriMo sounds awesome!


	34. Pein Vs Kadabra

A/N: Well, I decided against NaNoWriMo… There's too much stuff on my plate this year. Maybe I'll try it next year, because apparently senior year is extremely easy. (I have a feeling that's a lie.)

Also… is everyone getting their alerts? Their new chapter alerts? I ask because someone said they weren't getting any new chapter alerts from me, which is really weird.

Really quick… _italics_ are for Sabrina's little girl doll thing. Normal text is for Sabrina's real body.

* * *

"Brock, we've been turned into dolls!" Misty wailed.

"I know!"

"…You guys, too…?"

Brock and Misty were now made of fabric, and couldn't actually turn their heads to see who was talking. But, they did recognize the voice.

"Konan, you too?" Brock asked.

"Damn it!" Deidara yelled. "When we get out of here, I'm going to blow up this whole gym! Sabrina's going to pay for this!"

"_If_ we get out." Itachi corrected.

"You just _had_ to beat Sabrina, didn't you, Konan?" Deidara growled. "That was a horrible idea! This is all Nagato-sama's fault, un!"

"Don't blame it on him! He didn't do anything wrong!"

"Stop yelling, and let's figure out how to get out of here." Itachi said.

"Oh, don't worry. Help is already on the way!" Brock informed them.

"Who's coming?"

"Ash!"

"We're going to die." Deidara said flatly.

"Well, to pass the time… how did you guys end up here?" Brock asked.

"Oh, where to start?" Deidara groaned.

* * *

Earlier that morning:

"I'm teaching you a new move today, Nidorino and Raichu."

"_Rai?"_

"_Nido."_

"Substitute. It's an important move during battle."

"You're teaching a Pokémon the substitution jutsu, un?" Deidara asked.

"Substitute is a move, Deidara." Itachi said.

"…It is…?"

"Yes."

"You didn't know that?" Konan laughed.

Deidara didn't reply to that, and wondered how the heck a Pokémon was supposed to learn the substitution jutsu.

"By the way, did you get some sleep last night, Konan?" Itachi asked.

"Yeah, for the most part. Weird dream last night, too… But, nothing too bad. A lot less freaky than the one before it."

"Strange dream?"

"Yeah… But, don't worry about it."

"Tell me."

"Well, the first night, you already know about… last night, it was something about this huge statue… We were all standing on the fingers, and there were other people I didn't recognize."

"What were we doing on a giant statue?"

"I don't really know. But, there was a person lying on the ground… These dragons came out of the statue's mouth, and… sucked the guy's soul out."

"Did the eyes of the statue start opening?" Deidara asked.

"How'd you know?"

"This is what I've been telling you about since we got here! Akatsuki! We're a bunch of criminals who collect Jinjuriki and suck the demons out of their hosts!"

"Really, Deidara… If you think I'm going to start falling for your bullshit just because of that, you're crazy."

"I'm not joking, un."

"Shush."

"Are you going to the gym now?" Itachi asked.

"Yeah. It's time to take Sabrina down!"

"Raichu and Nidorino… I'll teach you later. Return."

* * *

"_You're back, are you? Well… Okay! But remember, I'll turn you into my playthings again if you lose!"_ Sabrina giggled.

"I won't lose, so there's no problem." Konan said.

"_You're confident! Go, Kadabra!"_

"Alright… Pein, you're fighting. Kein, stay behind me… Nagato-sama, you know what you're doing."

"_Sama…"_

"_Three Pokémon? That's not fair."_ Sabrina whined.

"Only one of them is fighting you. It's not against the rules."

"…_Okay, then… But, what kind of Pokémon is that?"_

"Pein?"

"_Yeah…"_

Konan took out her pokédex so that Sabrina could find out.

Name: Pein

Species: God Realm

Type: Psychic

Evolutionary chain: Evolved from Yahiko-san

Pein is a very powerful Pokémon, able to create horrible storms at any time. They are usually completely emotionless and will not show any sign of weakness during battle. This Pokémon never shows mercy, but will not attack unless it feels threatened or angry.

00000000000000000000000000

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 4

Defense: 4

Special attack: 5

Special defense: 4

Speed: 4

0000000000000000

"_That's a strong Pokémon."_

"Yes, he is."

Nagato-sama backed into the corner of the room, and watched Kein put his hand on Konan's head. After a few seconds, Konan's face went blank, as if she was having an out-of-body experience.

"_Are you okay?" _Sabrina asked.

"I'm fine." Konan replied, Kein's voice echoing hers.

"_Okay… Your move first."_

"Pein, use Cut."

Pein hesitated for a second, wondering how the heck Cut was supposed to damage a teleporting opponent. But, he obeyed, and slid a sharp black rod out of his sleeve. Kadabra quickly avoided the attack, and reappeared behind Pein.

"_Psybeam!" _Sabrina giggled.

Pein waited until the last second to jump away from the attack, and quickly landed next to Kadabra.

"_He couldn't see that attack, we were behind him… How'd he know to move?"_

"Pein, use Chatter."

"What's Chatter, un?"

"It's a move that confuses the opponent." Itachi said. "But, its success rate depends on the Pokémon."

"Chatter confuses the opponent?"

"It's like saying something that makes no sense, or something that makes the opponent think too hard."

"Leader-sama is giving another one of his world-domination speeches, then?" Deidara mumbled.

Kadabra turned to face Pein, and listened to his chattering. Sabrina –being mentally connected to her Pokémon– listened, too.

"What's it saying, anyway, un?"

"Nobody knows, since none of us can speak the Pokémon language."

"Kadabra, show him some _real_ pain." Sabrina's second body said. "Use Psychic."

"You, too." Konan commanded. "Psychic."

Kadabra quickly teleported out of Pein's attack, and picked him up with his own. Pein tried to recover from his failed move, but was thrown toward the corner of the room before he had a chance to do anything. Unfortunately, this happened to be the corner of the room that Nagato-sama was standing in. Despite trying to duck under his flying friend, Nagato couldn't quite get out of the way. Pein slammed into the many rods sticking out of his back, which wasn't pleasant for either of them.

"Those rods shouldn't be touched, let alone _pushed_." Itachi said. "That had to be insufferably painful."

Since everyone –including Konan and Kein– were distracted by Nagato's current situation; Sabrina took this opportunity to attack.

"Teleport, then Psybeam."

"_Kada."_

Kadabra disappeared, ended up right in front of Pein's face, and began his attack. Pein was thrown across the battlefield, where Kadabra picked him up with Psychic.

"Throw him out of the ring, Kadabra."

Kadabra knocked Pein into the wall until it broke, and then proceeded to throw him outside, where he quickly fell unconscious.

"Okay, stop the match!" Konan yelled, putting Pein back into his Pokéball. "Please tell me I have a Super Potion or something…"

"_Time to play!" _Sabrina laughed.

"Just give me a minute, will you?! Deidara, Itachi, do you guys have a Potion or something? Anything?"

"A what?" Deidara asked.

"I don't have one." Itachi said.

Konan dug through her bag for a few more minutes before finally finding a Super Potion. She ran up to Nagato, and jumped up onto one of his metal legs. Surprisingly, he hadn't already fainted, or attacked someone in a pain-induced rage. Instead, he stood completely still, holding his breath to keep from yelling. Konan leaned over, and was able to begin using the Super Potion. After a few sprays, Nagato pulled his hands out of their tubes, and reached for Konan's Pokéball belt.

"I'll put you back in a minute, just relax." Konan told him.

However, it wasn't his own Pokéball that he was reaching for. He released Pein once again, and began to make hand-signs. It took Konan a second to realize what he was trying to do.

"Hey!"

Konan reached down and grabbed his hand, successfully stopping him from continuing.

"It would be better if he was asleep." Itachi said.

"Yeah, it probably would."

Itachi walked up to Nagato, and put him to sleep with Hypnosis while Konan finished off what was left of the Super Potion. She put both Pein and Nagato back yet again, and turned to face Sabrina.

"_Finally!"_ She giggled, putting her hands up in the air.

* * *

"And that's how we ended up here." Deidara concluded.

"Sounds like one heck of a match." Brock said.

"It was going so well, too…" Konan muttered.

"Well, un?! It was _not_ going well! You didn't even have one hit on that Pokémon!"

"We hadn't gotten hit, either." She pointed out.

"So, that 'Kein' Pokémon… The one that can read your mind… if it can read your mind, why were you calling out attacks?" Brock asked.

"Habit, I guess." Konan sighed.

"Is Nagato-sama alright?" Misty asked.

"I don't know… I used the whole Super Potion, but that doesn't mean anything."

"Why did you have him out in the first place?!" Deidara yelled. "Why didn't you just leave him in the Pokéball?!"

"Because he was useful as an extra set of eyes." Konan told him.

"Huh?"

"Pein has one view of the battle, Kein has another, and so does Nagato-sama… And, I guess I had another view, since Kein was using Mind Reader. It's like having a bunch of security cameras watching one room."

"That's why Pein was able to dodge something it couldn't see, right?" Misty asked.

"Exactly."

"Hey… When Nagato-sama let Pein out again, what was it doing?"

"Oh… Nagato-sama is really overprotective of Pein… and me. Since he fainted, Nagato was trying to revive him with Healing Wish."

"Healing Wish… doesn't that cause the user to faint?"

Yeah, that's why I was trying to stop him… Hey, how did you guys end up here?"

"Well… Ash finally caught a Haunter."

"That's good."

"Well, he came to battle Sabrina with Haunter, but Haunter disappeared. He tried to use Pikachu, but he lost again… so, here we are."

Suddenly, all of them began to glow.

"Now what?!" Brock yelled.

Luckily, it wasn't anything bad. Actually, they were transported to Sabrina's usual chair, while Sabrina herself was standing near the battle arena. Ash stood on the other side, with Pikachu ready to battle.

"If I win, you've gotta give me my friends back!" Ash said.

"_Okay."_

Ash looked over at Sabrina's chair, and easily recognized all the dolls.

"Those three aren't really my _friends_, since I hardly know them… but…"

"_I'll just take them back then!"_ Sabrina laughed.

"NO!" Ash yelled. "You've gotta let them go, too!"

"_Fine…"_

* * *

"That was the _cheapest_ win I've ever seen in my life." Deidara said. "You're a really lucky kid, you know. Eventually that'll run out."

"Oh, Ash! Thank you!" Konan yelled, hugging the young trainer.

"Haunter wasn't even the one battling… and yet it won the match for you." Itachi sighed.

"Well, what can I say? Haunter made Sabrina laugh, and Haunter is _my_ Pokémon. So, Sabrina _should_ be thanking me for making her happy for once in her miserable life!" Ash gloated.

"But… you didn't even win!" Deidara argued. "Haunter just flew in during the match, and was making stupid faces at Sabrina. She laughed, and that was that! You didn't even _touch_ Kadabra!"

"Who cares? I have my gym badge."

"You're hopeless, un…"

"Shouldn't you get to the Pokémon center now?" Misty asked. "I mean… to get Nagato-sama and Pein checked out?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

"See you in the next town!" Ash said, waving goodbye.

"Okay! See ya!"

* * *

"You _still_ lost the match?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yeah… I don't know what I'm going to do now… Maybe I should go to the next gym, and come back later." Konan said.

"What kind of attacks does that Kadabra use?"

"Psychic attacks."

"Obviously. I mean are they Physical Attacks or Special Attacks?"

"Special… why?"

"Send Pein and Kein back home, and get them to send you Gein."

"Gein?"

"Yes. Gein is another one of Yahiko's evolutions, but this one should be helpful."

"Why do you say that?"

"Gein can't be hurt by Special Attacks. It'll just absorb them like they're nothing. But, it's really weak against Physical Attacks."

"Alright… I'll do that once Nurse Joy is done with them."

* * *

"Well… Nagato-sama should be okay, but…"

"But?" Konan asked.

"Well, the rods on his back got pushed, didn't they?"

"Yeah."

"Well, now they're kind of out of place, you see. We could leave them like that, but it would hurt."

"What's the other option?"

"We could push them _back_. That would hurt, too… but not nearly as much as leaving them."

"O-okay."

"Don't worry, though. I have two Sakura-Chan on the job, and they're very skilled healers. One will push the rod back, while the other heals the wound. But… one of you put him to sleep earlier, didn't you?"

"I did." Itachi said.

"Would you do that again, please? It'll help."

"Yes."

Nurse Joy and Itachi disappeared back into the operating room, leaving Konan and Deidara outside. They were alone for only a few seconds before Pein and Kein walked out of one of the recovery rooms. Pein was fully healed, and Kein (Who was never actually hurt in the first place.) looked very bored.

"You two… you know what Gein is, don't you?" Konan asked.

The two of them nodded, and wondered why she had asked.

"If I send you two back home, could you send me Gein?"

The two of them nodded again in response.

"Okay, good… I'll send Nagato-sama back with you, too."

* * *

A/N: Okay, Gein is Hungry Ghost realm. He's the fat-ish one who absorbed Jiraiya's Rasengan, and all that stuff. See you all next time.


	35. Curse Seal Pein

A/N: Well, I'm FINALLY getting to a part of the story I've been waiting to write since… Well, since I started this fic! Yay!

* * *

"You know, when you said you were going to blow up the gym, I didn't think you'd actually do it." Konan sighed.

"It got me a badge, un."

"Because Kadabra teleported out of the stadium to avoid getting hit with your stupid explosion."

"It wasn't stupid, it was artistic."

"Yeah, okay… Anyway, did you happen to see where Itachi went off to?"

"I wasn't looking."

"Yeah, neither was I… Oh well, he'll probably pop up on us again eventually."

"Where are we going now, anyway?" Deidara asked.

"Celadon city." Konan told him. "It's supposed to be very nice. But, first I need to send Gein back home… Then maybe I'll just call Jiraiya to tell him it worked."

* * *

"So, it worked?" Jiraiya asked.

"Perfectly. I don't think Kadabra knew any kind of Physical Attack."

"That's great! Hey, are you headed to Celadon city next?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I let Naruto make the trip there by himself, which was probably a bad idea. If he's there, tell him to call me, okay?"

"You know, he's not a little kid anymore. I'm sure he can handle walking to Celadon."

"Oh, I know that. I'm not worried about that. I'm worried because… Well, it's top secret, so I can't tell you. But, the point is that I'm worried."

"Do you have to be so vague about it, un?" Deidara asked.

"Yeah, I do." Jiraiya said in a matter-of-factly tone. "I'd get in trouble if I told you."

"We'll… keep an eye out for him, then."

"Thanks. Oh, and be careful out there. There have been some sightings of weird Pokémon out on that route."

"Weird Pokémon?"

"Yeah, it's dangerous. Be careful."

"We will… bye."

* * *

"Do we_ have _to walk? Can't we fly, un?"

"No."

"This place is so rocky… There are cliffs everywhere; this'll take days to get through, un."

"That's nothing new, is it?"

Deidara sighed, and wondered if he could just make a bird and fly off by himself. That would be pretty easy… then again, Konan would probably kill him for it, and Deidara wasn't about to make her angry. He'd never actually seen her angry when they were in Akatsuki, but if she was Leader-sama's partner, she must be strong. He wasn't quite sure it was a good idea to take that chance. Besides, Konan was the only person around that knew anything about this crazy place.

"Hey… Hold my bag for a minute, will you?" Konan asked.

"What…?" Deidara asked, coming out of his daze. "Oh, yeah."

Deidara quickly noticed that they were standing at the base of a short cliff that Konan apparently wanted to climb. He took her bag, and wondered why it was so heavy.

"What's in here, un?"

"The egg. It's getting pretty heavy."

"Why the hell do I have to carry it, un?!"

"I just want you to hold it until I get up here."

So, Konan pulled herself up onto the ledge, and reached down for her bag. Deidara stretched his arm up, and let her take it. Unfortunately, that egg was slightly too heavy, and Konan fell face-first off the ledge, and landed next to Deidara.

"Are you… okay, un?"

"I'm fine." She moaned, standing back up.

Konan went back up the ledge again, and this time she had her Pokémon bring her bag up. The group walked for awhile before she happened to notice something.

"Hey! Look!" She yelled, pointing into the distance.

"What is it, un?"

"Iwagakure! The village hidden in stone!"

"Uh, yeah that's great." Deidara said. "Let's keep going."

"What? Let's head over to the village for a while."

"No." Deidara said firmly.

"Why not?"

"Because I said so."

"But, we could stop here for lunch and stuff… and then go on to Celadon."

"We're not stopping in Iwagakure, un. Got that?"

"Fine. But, we'll have to come back eventually. There's a gym here."

"We're skipping that one."

"We can't _skip_ a gym. If we skip a gym, we can't get into the Championships."

"Whatever, un."

Konan wondered why Deidara was so against going into Iwagakure, but decided that it didn't matter. She could come back here on her own sometime. Eventually, the two of them walked into a large canyon in between two cliffs. Even the slightest sound would echo and become louder.

"Man, this canyon is deep." Konan said.

"Yeah. How far is Celadon?"

"It shouldn't be too much further."

"…Do you hear something…?" Deidara asked.

"What?"

"Quiet…"

Konan and Deidara stopped walking, and started to listen. Indeed, there was a noise. It sounded like it was coming closer, too.

"…Electricity…?"

"There are electric types out in a place like this, un?"

"I didn't think so." Konan muttered.

The two of them began to get nervous when it became even louder. What direction was it coming from? More importantly, what was it? Finally, Konan spotted the source of the noise.

"What the heck is that thing?!"

"What, un?" Deidara asked.

Deidara turned around to see a large creature flying toward them. In its hand was a huge ball of electricity, though it had a strange gray color to it. Konan took out her pokédex to find out what it was.

_No data found!_

"What?! That's not a Pokémon!?"

Deidara and Konan ducked under the creature, which quickly landed and turned to face them.

"_Sssskeeeee…."_

"That thing looks… demonic." Konan said.

"It _is_." Deidara growled.

"You know what that is?"

"Damn Uchiha, that's what it is."

"Uchiha? That's not a Sasuke, Sasuke-kun, Madara or Itachi."

"That's Sasuke."

"Um… No it's not."

Deidara wasn't about to try and argue with Konan. If she wasn't going to listen, that was her problem.

"Rematch time, un? Maybe we got interrupted back in the real world, but this time that won't happen!" Deidara yelled.

"The _real_ world?" Konan asked.

"_Saaasu…ke"_

The Pokémon watched carefully when Deidara changed form. It shot more strangely colored electricity at Deidara as a defense mechanism, but Deidara didn't even feel it.

"Ground beats Electricity around here. I have the advantage this time, un. My art will kill you!"

* * *

"Sasuke… Are we almost there?" Sakura asked.

"We should be. If he's not here, the next stop is Celadon City."

"What if he's not in Celadon?"

"We'll find out which way he went, and chase him down there."

"Wouldn't an ambush be easier?"

"Ambush? Where? We don't know where he is."

"We know where he's _going_. We should head over to one of the next gyms, and wait for him. Where does everyone go after Celadon?"

"I don't know."

"When we get to the next town, we'll find a Pokémon to ask. Then, we'll go there, and wait. Plus, if we get there before Itachi, we'll have some time to relax."

* * *

"Deidara, are you crazy?!" Konan yelled.

"Stay out of this, un!"

"That thing has wings; it's probably part flying type if it's a Pokémon! Ground isn't good against Flying, you won't be able to hurt it!"

"Shut up!"

* * *

"So, our little project is ready, is it?" Orochimaru asked.

"_Jiro…"_

"Let's open up the container, and see what it's become."

So, Orochimaru walked up to the tiny barrel, and removed the sealing tags. After removing the lid, it was clear that the Curse Stone had succeeded. Pein was still asleep, since Orochimaru had Tayuya use Grass Whistle rather frequently. Jirobo pulled the transformed Pokémon out, and put it down on the ground for examination.

"It's beautiful." Orochimaru cooed, looking at his creation.

What had resulted from the Curse Stone was a horrific new version of Pein. His headband had fallen off during the transformation, and on his forehead was a large third eye with the Rinnegan. Two more eyes rested on the back of his hands. Further up along his arms, the Akatsuki cloak had been torn to reveal huge spikes that had come from the neat row of piercings. The ones on his ears had grown longer and sharper, along with the ones on his legs. His bottom lip had been sliced open, where his snakebites had been fused with his upper jaw, creating two large fangs.

"This… This will be a horror in battle."

"_Jiro."_

Orochimaru pulled the Akatsuki cloak open to look at Pein's chest. The piercings that had formed an arch along the bottom of his ribcage had gotten large and flat, creating a coat of armor on his torso. Certainly this would be useful.

"I'll just tell Giovanni that it was a failure. I'm not giving this to him. This is mine."

* * *

Deidara really couldn't understand why his moves weren't working. Even if they hit, Sasuke seemed completely unaffected.

"Deidara, give up already! Let's get out of here!"

"No, un!"

Konan picked up Deidara's bag to see if she could find a few of his Pokémon. If Deidara wasn't giving up, he would at least need help.

"Charmander, go help Deidara!"

"_Char!"_

Charmander jumped in front of Deidara, and started to spit fire at his attacker. It spit fire right back at him, and overpowered the little Pokémon. Before Charmander had a chance to recover, it was picked up by its tail. He panicked, thrashing about in a sad attempt to break free. Sasuke found this rather funny, and watched it squirm. He knocked Deidara down one last time with Gust, and then began to ignore him.

"_C-char! Char-mander! M-Mander-char!' _

Charmander began to glow, while Sasuke watched.

"Charmander is evolving!" Konan exclaimed.

"What do Charmander evolve into, un?"

"Charmeleon."

When Charmeleon emerged from the bright light, he slashed at Sasuke's face, giving him a nasty cut. He was dropped onto the ground, where Sasuke began to get angry.

"Charmeleon, use Flamethrower, un!"

"_Suke!"_

Sasuke jumped to avoid the fire, and flew up into the air. He began to dive back down, and suddenly began to glow a strange blue color. He slammed into Deidara, and jumped out of the crater he had created.

"Deidara!" Konan yelled.

Deidara had been knocked out by the move, and didn't reply. Sasuke had used Brave Bird, which was a very powerful attack. However, that had also caused Sasuke a lot of pain. Konan began to wonder how she was supposed to get out of this mess. At the moment, things weren't looking good.

* * *

A/N: Again, short chapter. Sorry. But the next few chapters should be exciting, since I've been waiting for a LONG TIME to write this part!


	36. Cinnabar and Saffron

A/N: I know it's WAY too early to be asking, but about the first Pokémon movie:

Do you guys want the Japanese version or the American version? In the Japanese version, Mewtwo was trying to destroy the world to prove his worth as a living being (since he was just a clone), and in the American version, he hated humans for treating Pokémon like tools. Which one do you want? I have to say that this is one of the few times where I actually like the dub better, but I'll let you guys pick.

* * *

"Come on, pick up the pace! Let's move faster! How can we expect to beat our rivals when we're moving so slow?!"

"Yes, Gai-sensei!" Lee yelled.

"That's the spirit, Lee! Neji, Tenten, Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, let's move it!"

The Pokémon groaned at their overly excited master, and tried to move a little faster.

"We're on a cross-country trip here; this is no time to be losing steam! We're almost back to the Leaf Village, anyway! We just have to pass through Saffron, and then we can make a beeline for it!"

* * *

"_Sasu…"_

Konan flinched when Sasuke came up to her. However, instead of attacking, he pulled an envelope out of his shirt, and handed it to her. She stared at him, waiting for him to make a move. After a few moments, it became clear that he wasn't going to hurt her. She wondered if he had beaten up Deidara and Charmeleon just for fun, which seemed pretty likely.

"Do you want me… to open this?"

"_Suke."_

She tore the envelope open, and began to read the letter inside.

_To Deidara, Konan, and any companions:_

_I am finally ready to receive you as my guests. Follow the map inside this envelope, and join me._

_-Orochimaru_

Konan pulled the map out of the envelope, and searched for some kind of mark. Quickly, she spotted a large red circle around the forest near Maiden's Peak.

"Maiden's peak, huh? We have to walk all the way back there, don't we?"

"_Sasuke." _

"T-tell your master we're coming."

Sasuke took off almost immediately, leaving Konan with an unconscious Deidara and Charmeleon on her hands. Charmeleon was easily put inside a Pokéball, but Deidara was a different story. He wasn't particularly heavy or anything, but it wasn't going to be easy to drag him all the way to the next town.

'_I could put him in a Pokéball… he's still in Pokémon form.'_

Konan could just imagine the reaction Deidara would have to being stuffed inside a Pokéball. It wouldn't be pretty.

"_LET'S MOVE IT!"_

Konan looked over to her right to see a large dust cloud forming on the other end of the canyon. It was moving toward her, but she wasn't particularly frightened by it. She could see that it was a trainer and his Pokémon. When they got closer, they slowed down and eventually came to a standstill in front of her.

"Why is this man sleeping in the middle of the road?" The trainer asked.

"Oh, a Pokémon knocked him out." Konan explained.

"Do you need to get him to a Pokémon center?"

"Yeah, but I can handle-"

"I can carry that for you! It would be a good challenge!"

"I don't think that's really necessary."

"Nonsense, I'll carry that guy, and Lee here can carry _you_!"

"I _really_ don't think-"

"LEE!"

"Yes, Gai-sensei!"

Konan really didn't have a choice at this point, since Lee had already hoisted her onto his back, and began to dash along the road. They were headed back to Saffron, which was absolutely fine, since it was closer to Maiden's peak.

* * *

"Why are we back in Saffron city? I thought we were going to Celadon, un."

"Well, you got knocked out, and we came back here because they had a Pokémon center."

"Celadon doesn't have a Pokémon center?"

"It does, but Celadon would've taken longer to get to."

"And now we have to go all the way back to Maiden's Peak?"

"Well, yeah. Orochimaru said he's ready for us or something…"

While Deidara wasn't exactly happy about having to go all the way back there, he knew that Orochimaru had the key back home, which was a good enough reason to go and see him. Besides, this would give him the opportunity to fight Sasuke again.

"We're walking there aren't we, un?"

"Unfortunately."

"Are there any shortcuts?"

"Not really. We don't have any flying type Pokémon… And there's no way we would unless your Charmeleon evolves again."

"How do we do that?"

"I wasn't saying it was possible… I was just saying it'd be nice. But, since he just evolved, it's probably not going to happen for a while."

* * *

"So, wait… what are we doing all the way down in Cinnabar Island? It's in the middle of the ocean!" Raichu yelled.

"Itachi said we were looking for something." Ivysaur told him.

"A water type Pokémon." Nidorino added.

"We're in the middle of the ocean, it shouldn't be hard to find." Beedrill muttered.

"Yeah, the _huge_ ocean. Shouldn't be hard to find a _single _Pokémon." Raichu scoffed.

"Ah, but that's the fun of it!" Gastly laughed. "It's the journey that makes it exciting!"

"They're supposed to live close to shore, and they come up on land a lot." Ivysaur said. "Maybe it won't be so hard."

"Yeah, well we better hurry up, I'm sick of the beach." Raichu huffed.

"What's your problem, Raichu? You're getting really grumpy." Nidorino said. "Not to mention twitchy."

"It's not my fault I haven't battled in a while."

"_That's_ your problem? You want a battle?" Beedrill asked.

"Either that or a lightning rod. Someplace with a lot of dirt would work, too." Raichu said, letting his cheeks spark.

"You're overloaded with electricity now, aren't you?" Nidorino asked.

"Could you tell?" Raichu laughed.

"Just wait for Itachi to get back with some pokéballs, and then we'll go find some empty spot." Ivysaur told him.

"Good, because if this keeps up, I'll get sick." Raichu growled.

"Sick?"

"Yeah, it happens to electric type Pokémon. They get too overloaded with electricity, and then they get a fever and everything. It happened to my dad once, it wasn't pretty."

* * *

"So, you're finally awake, are you?" Orochimaru hissed.

"_P…ei?"_

"Let's get something clear, shall we? You are my Pokémon, and I am now your master. Got it?"

'_Like hell you are.'_

Pein stood up, completely unaware of his new looks or abilities. He put out his hand, and began to use Psychic to throw Orochimaru out of his way. However, before he could lift up the man, a horrible electric shock passed through his body.

"That's what happens when you try and disobey." Orochimaru told him. "Now, get inside this Pokéball. Take this, too."

Pein watched to items fall at his feet. The first was a large black Pokéball with a red ring on top, and a green button in the center. The second item was a silver bell with a big yellow ribbon on top.

"That is a Luxury Ball. I think you'll grow to like it. The second is a Soothe Bell, which you'll also like."

* * *

"_Hey, Itachi's back!" _Ivysaur said, nodding up toward the town.

"_Alright, time to go Pokémon hunting!" _Nidorino cheered.

The trainer finally got up to his Pokémon, and took a special type of Pokéball out of his bag.

"It's a net ball." He told them. "It's good for catching water types."

Ivysaur ran down to the ocean to wait for his master, who gave the Net Ball to Nidorino.

"Go find one of these Pokémon." Itachi said, holding out his pokédex. "I'll be back."

"_Nido!"_

"Raichu, let's go."

"_Rai?"_

* * *

"Alright, use Thunderbolt."

"_Rai!"_

Raichu slammed his tail into the ground, and pushed it down into the dirt.

"I don't want you getting sick." Itachi told him. "Electric types can develop problems if they have too much Electricity."

"_Rai…CHUUUUUUUU!"_

Itachi watched all the electricity go down into the dirt, and disappear. He waited for a few minutes while Raichu continued his Thunderbolt, only stopping to breathe.

* * *

"Where the hell are we supposed to find this thing?" Nidorino asked.

"It would be easier if we hada water type to search with." Beedrill said.

"That's the whole reason we're here. To_ get_ a water type." Ivysaur told her.

"I know that." Beedrill growled.

"It's a giant shark-man with a huge sword and Itachi's Pokémon cloak! How hard can it be to see?!" Nidorino pointed out.

"That's true."

* * *

"You can't _force_ your Charmeleon to evolve." Konan said.

"You said it just needs battle experience. That's what I'm doing."

"If that's what you're planning, walking would probably be _faster_."

"_Trying to evolve your Pokémon!?"_

"Huh?"

Deidara and Konan looked up to see two people standing next to each other. They looked familiar, but nobody could quite put their finger on it.

"We'll get your Pokémon to evolve!" One of them offered.

"It'll only cost you a little time and money!"

"What are you, traveling daycare people?" Konan asked.

"Exactly!"

"So, I just give you my Pokémon?"

"Only for a day or so!"

"Do it!" Konan said. "If they can get Charmeleon to evolve into Charizard, we _could _fly to Maiden's Peak!"

Deidara handed Charmeleon's Pokéball to the two people, and watched them walk off.

"Pick him up here at the same time tomorrow!"

"Okay!" Konan yelled, waving good-bye.

The two people walked away, before tearing off their disguises.

"Jessie, that was so easy!"

"Did you two geddit?" Meowth asked.

"See for yourself!" Jessie laughed, holding out the Pokéball.

"Great! Let's give it ta da boss!"

"Right!"

* * *

A/N: Okay, about the electric types getting sick: It's happened twice in the anime, apparently. Pikachu and Pachurisu got fevers and colds when they had stored too much electricity. Also, Raichu get violent and angry when they've got too much electricity. (According to Bulbapedia, and their pokédex entries.)

Also, sorry for the short chapter!


	37. Sasuke and the Uchihas

A/N: This chapter is mostly crack, because I'm about to make this fic go all serious on your ass! But, there are a lot of plot-related things, too.

* * *

"So... Where exactly are those two?"

"We've been waiting here for an hour, un."

"We can't just leave, because we wouldn't get your Charmeleon back."

"So, it's a giant dragon when it evolves?"

"Yeah... Charizard."

* * *

_"Char-meleon!"_

"What's it saying, Meowth?" Jessie asked.

"It's sayin' it wants t'go back home." Meowth told her.

"Well, that's not happening."

_"Char..."_

* * *

"So, do you like your Luxury Ball and Soothe bell?"

_"Pei."_

"Good... Now, I want you to do something for _me_. Got it?" Orochimaru asked.

_"Pei."_

Orochimaru opened the door of the cage, and let Pein out into the hallway. Jirobo, Tayuya and Kidomaru stood by his side in case anything went wrong. But, today wasn't a bad day for Orochimaru, and Pein wasn't going to disobey. The five of them walked over to the mirror that Sasuke had been using as a portal to the reverse world. But, this mirror could also be used as a reflective surface to look at oneself. Orochimaru stood by while Pein got his first look at his new form.

"Do you like it?"

Pein was too busy studying the mirror to reply.

"Not only do you look different... you'll be much more powerful, too. Care to come and see?"

At the sound of that, Pein turned to his new master, and waited eagerly to see what new powers he had gained.

* * *

"Hey... Sasuke?"

"What?"

"I know you want to kill Itachi, and I'm sure you have a good reason, bu-"

"Don't try to convince me otherwise, Sakura. My mind is made."

"I wasn't trying to. But, would you tell me what happened that night? You keep talking about a fire, but you never tell me the whole story."

Sasuke paused for a few moments, as if trying to decide if it was okay to tell her.

"Sit down."

* * *

"Okay, this is getting annoying. We've been waiting long enough, where are they, un!?"

"D-did they take your Charmeleon and run?" Konan asked.

"I'll blow them up if that's what happened."

"I'll help."

"_Hello, there."_

Deidara and Konan turned around to see Itachi come up behind them.

"Where have you been? You ditched us again, un."

"I was out getting another pokémon."

"What kind?" Konan asked.

Itachi released a pokémon from his belt to show Konan.

Name: Kisame

Species: Shark-man

Type: Water

Evolutionary chain: unknown.

This pokémon is very powerful, and has been mistaken for a legendary. The sword it carries is its greatest weapon, and can cause massive damage to opponents.

* * *

Stats:

(Lowest) 1-5 (Highest)

Attack: 5

Defense: 4

Special attack: 4

Special defense: 3

Speed: 3

00000000000000000

"A Kisame?! Wow! How did you manage to capture that?"

"It was a long, difficult fight. It was a worthy opponent." Itachi told her, putting Kisame back.

* * *

"So, you know about the fire, don't you?" Sasuke asked.

"Sort of. The fire was black, wasn't it? Sacred fire?"

"Yes. Itachi caused that fire."

"Itachi knows Sacred Fire?"

"Yes. He called it Amaterasu."

"The sun goddess?"

"Itachi used to be friends with all of the Sasuke around Konoha. Like a brother to us. He'd come see us every day, like we were his family."

"What about his parents?"

"I don't know. I never met his parents. I hardly knew Itachi. I was born just a few weeks before that fire."

"So, what happened?"

"First, one of our own went missing. Nobody knew what happened to him. Nobody asked questions, since we all thought he'd just left."

"Did he ever come back?"

"Itachi killed him the night he came back."

"With Sacred Fire?"

"No. On the night he came back, some of us were already asleep. It was late. Mostly the adults went to see him. I don't really know what happened during that. But, when I woke up, all the adults were crowded around him, and I went to see what was going on.

"Was he dead?"

"He was alive… dying, though. Itachi was standing over him like he was some sort of prey. That Sasuke's eye started bleeding, and he managed to get back up. Then, the two of them started fighting. That's when the fire started. It started on the ground between them, and just went everywhere. So many people got burned. So many died.

"How did you…?"

"Not everyone got hit. I got into a tree, which somehow managed not to burn down. That's where I watched Itachi stab that Sasuke. I watched him die. That fire didn't stop until everyone was dead."

* * *

"…Do you hear something…?" Deidara asked.

"Hm?"

Everyone fell silent, and quickly heard what Deidara was talking about. Footsteps were coming toward them, and it sounded as if the person was running. The noise stopped, and the three pokémon trainers found themselves face-to-face with Sasuke and Sakura.

"Hey, Itachi… He's not going to try and kill you, is he?"

"Maybe."

"I'll handle this, un." Deidara said, stepping in front of Itachi. Sasuke really had no intention of fighting Deidara, especially since Itachi was no more than ten feet away. He rushed at Itachi, swerving to avoid the artist. However, Deidara didn't like being ignored. He threw a bomb down on Sasuke's feet, and watched him fall on his face. Itachi took this opportunity to put Sasuke to sleep, and save himself the trouble of battling.

"_Sasuke!"_ Sakura yelled, rushing up to him. _"Damn it… I told you we shouldn't just rush in…"_

"Come on." Itachi said, reaching down for Sakura's hand. "We'll take him to a pokémon center."

"Wait, what?! He tries to kill you, and you want to heal him?!" Deidara yelled.

"We can't just leave him here." Konan told him.

"I do you a favor by tripping him, and now we're healing him. I really don't understand you guys."

"Let's take him, and deal with his murderous attitude later." Itachi said.

"Wait, what about Charmeleon?" Deidara asked.

"We can come back tomorrow." Konan said. "Maybe he didn't evolve yet.

* * *

"You _so_ could not!" Eevee yelled.

"I find your lack of confidence in me insulting." Raichu told her.

"Well, maybe a lot of pokémon think you're hot, but there's no way you could get with a human."

"Wanna bet?!"

"We're pokémon, what should we bet on?"

"I'll bet my dignity."

"You've already lost that, so…"

"Hey!"

"Well, I guess all I want to see is you getting rejected. So, okay. Who are you going to try?" Eevee sighed.

"I'll try… Konan."

Eevee couldn't help but snort at his idea. Konan? Yeah, right.

"You're kidding." Yahiko said. "You must be."

"Nope. I'll do it."

"I'd like to see you try." Nagato muttered. "She'd never let you."

"Says _you_."

"This is gonna be fun." Nidorino said.

"Yeah… let's watch." Ivysaur agreed.

"Where is Konan, anyway?"

"The room over there."

So, the pokémon paraded into the room, and Raichu waited for everyone to take their seats.

"What's everybody doing in here?" Konan asked.

Raichu jumped up on the bed, and poked Konan in the arm.

"Oh… Hi, Raichu."

"_This should be interesting." _Yahiko muttered. _"Does he honestly think she'd-?"_

Yahiko stopped talking when Raichu decided to use Attract.

"_W-wait! He's not allowed to do that!"_

"_I don't remember anyone telling him that."_ Ivysaur pointed out.

"_Relax."_ Nidorino said. _"Let's see how it goes."_

Nagato and Yahiko shrank back in their seats when Konan was finally hit by Attract. Her face went blank, before turning into some kind of twisted look of desire.

"_I'm scared."_ Eevee squeaked. Raichu looked over at the spectators, and gave them an 'I-told-you-so' kind of look. Yahiko was quickly fed up with this, and got up when Raichu began to unbutton her shirt.

"_That's it."_ Yahiko growled. _"Game's over, rat!"_

Despite Nidorino and Ivysaur's attempts to restrain him, Yahiko marched all the way up to Raichu, and pulled him off the bed. Raichu tackled Yahiko, and knocked him into a nearby bookshelf, which quickly buried Yahiko under a mountain of paperback books.

"_Stay out of this."_ Raichu huffed, jumping back up on the bed.

However, the noise from the collapsing bookshelf had snapped Konan out of her crush, and she was now wondering why Yahiko was under a pile of books, why her shirt was halfway unbuttoned, and why all the other pokémon in the room looked absolutely horrified.

"What's wro- AH!"

Raichu was unaware that Konan was no longer under his spell, and had proceeded to split the rest of her shirt open.

"Hey! What do you think you're-? WHOA!"

Konan decided that splitting her pants open was not going to be tolerated. She threw Raichu off the bed, and watched Nagato pin him down. Yahiko finally managed to dig himself out of the pile of books, and run out into the lobby. He grabbed Raichu's pokéball off of Itachi's belt, and put the overly excited pokémon back inside. He held the ball shut, and waited for Raichu to stop struggling.

"What the hell just happened?!" Konan demanded.

Yahiko handed Konan his cloak, which she was quite grateful for. She took her ripped clothes off, and brought them to Nurse Joy.

"Can you fix these?"

"Um… sure. What happened?"

"I don't even know."

Konan threw Raichu's pokéball back to Itachi, and slammed her door closed.

"…What just happened, un…?"

"I don't know." Itachi said.

* * *

A/N: Yep, time for this fic to get slightly more serious. Not much, though. Promise.


	38. Chibi and Kakashi's ninja dogs

A/N: Okay, so this is the start of my serious mini-arc. Be prepared!

* * *

"What's _his_ problem, un?" Deidara asked, pointing at Yahiko.

"I think he's mad at me…" Konan muttered.

"Why? What'd you do?"

"Well…"

* * *

"_Yahiko, Nagato… Thanks."_

_The two of them nodded, telling her that it wasn't a problem._

"_And… I know you were just trying to get him off, Yahiko… but, did you have to hit him so hard?"_

_Yahiko and Nagato stared at Konan, wondering if she was being serious._

"_Not that I'm not thankful, but you did hit him kind of hard."_

_Yahiko glared at her, and decided that this was a stupid conversation. He left the room, and then walked out of the pokémon center. _

"_Hey, where are you going?" Nagato asked._

"_Don't worry; I'll be back in the morning."_

* * *

"Ah."

"Yeah…"

Yahiko was indeed kind of angry, and decided that today was a day for revenge. Raichu had just finished his breakfast, and was now walking across the lobby in the pokémon center. Because he was too busy talking to Ivysaur, Raichu walked right into Yahiko.

"Hello, Raichu." Yahiko growled, looking down at him.

"Um… Hi."

"Hey, remember last night?"

"Y-yeah, but I-"

"Time to get even." Yahiko interrupted.

"What are you going to do?"

Nagato and Eevee stood a few feet away, silently laughing at Raichu's ignorance.

"He has no idea what he's in for, does he?" Eevee whispered.

"Nope."

"Come with me, Raichu."

So, Raichu followed Yahiko all the way to the other side of the pokémon center, to one of the lounges. The door was closed, and Raichu began to get nervous.

"Close your eyes."

"What?"

"It's a surprise, Raichu. Close 'em."

The little electric pokémon obeyed, and let Yahiko push him into the room.

"Okay, you can open your eyes."

"Huh?"

What stood in front of Raichu was a room full of very angry female pokémon, most of them with eggs or some kind of baby pokémon.

"Um… Well, this is awkward." Raichu squeaked. "Hey, how are all my… uh…"

"Kids?" One of the girls asked.

"Yeah, those."

"I'll leave you guys alone, then." Yahiko laughed, closing the door behind Raichu.

"Wait, what?! Don't leave me in here with them!"

* * *

"I still cant believe you spent the whole night looking for Raichu's… I guess they're one-night-stands, huh?" Eevee asked.

"Yep. That's probably not all of them, either."

"You've gotta be sleepy…"

"I'm fine."

"Well, we're just heading over to Maiden's Peak today… you could just sleep on the way there." Nagato suggested.

"I told you, I can wait until tonight."

"It's seven in the morning, I don't think you'll be so awake later…"

"I'll be fine, trust me."

* * *

Deidara sat across from Tobi, staring quite intensely at his mask.

"What are you looking at?" Konan asked.

"It's breakfast… He has to take his mask off to eat."

"And?"

"I've never seen what's under that guy's mask."

"You know that the mask is part of its face, right? It can't take that off."

"What happens if you _yank_ the thing off?"

"Premature evolution, usually."

"Evolution?"

"Into a Madara… but, it'll probably be much shorter than most Madara, because it'll be premature."

"Hey, Mankey…" Deidara whispered, edging toward the pokémon next to him.

"_Mank?"_

"Help me get his mask off, will you?"

"_key."_

"Tobi, come here, un."

Tobi stood up, and walked over to its trainer, curious as to what he wanted.

"NOW!"

Poor Tobi had absolutely no time to react to his two attackers, and quickly found himself getting his mask pulled. He tried to keep it on, but Mankey and Deidara made a good team.

"Deidara!" Konan yelled. "Why are you-?"

Before Konan could finish, Deidara and Mankey managed to pull Tobi's mask right off his face. They held it up triumphantly, and watched their victim cover its face with its hands. Tobi began to glow, and Deidara watched as his hair grew longer, and armor seemed to grow right out of his skin.

"…_Mada…"_

Madara –being a much more vengeful pokémon than Tobi– looked up at Deidara and Mankey, deadest on revenge.

"Is that… the Sharingan?" Deidara asked.

"Of course it is, I've explained that!" Konan yelled.

Mankey dropped right off Deidara's shoulder, too distracted by Madara's sexiness to care where she landed.

"Mankey, un?"

"_M-mank…ey…"_

Madara marched up to Deidara, and ripped the mask out of his hand. However, this Madara didn't look quite as threatening as the others, since he was barely taller than Deidara. A normal Madara would be at least a foot taller.

"Um… Madara, look at it this way… maybe Deidara forced you to evolve, but you are a lot more powerful now, right?" Konan asked, attempting to calm it down.

* * *

"Sakura, what the hell!?" Sasuke yelled.

"What?"

"Why are we in a pokémon center?! Where is Itachi?!"

"Itachi is in the lobby, calm down… your foot is pretty much broken thanks to the explosion."

"Unplug all these wires, I need to go kill Itachi."

"Sasuke, your foot-"

"Shut up."

"Look, Itachi is going to leave in a few minutes, and I think-"

"WHAT?!"

"He's only leaving for a little while… Listen to me!"

Sakura shoved Sasuke down on the hospital bed, and held him there until he stopped trying to talk over her.

"Okay, here's my plan. We stick with the blonde guy and the blue-haired girl… When Itachi comes back, we… _you_… kill him. Besides, this'll give you time to fix up your foot."

* * *

"Konan, Jiraiya is calling." Nurse Joy said.

"Again? Did something happen?"

"I don't know, he just said he wants to talk to you."

So, Konan cautiously moved away from Madara and Deidara, watching to make sure they wouldn't rip each other's throats out when she left.

"Hi, Jiraiya."

"Hey, so you guys are heading to Maiden's Peak?"

"How'd you know?"

"Nurse Joy told me when I asked why you weren't in Celadon yet."

"Oh."

"_No. No. Stop that, and listen!"_

"What's going on?"

"Oh, remember how Kakashi was trying to set up that group of shinobi pokémon for the ANBU?"

"Yeah… all of them were dog pokémon, right?"

"Yeah… He even went all the way to Sinnoh to find some more of them. But, this one Growlithe hasn't been cooperating. His name is Chibi, and it is possibly the most ADHD pokémon you'll ever meet."

"You can't have a shinobi pokémon like that… not in the ANBU, anyway…"

"Yeah, we're trying to get someone else to take it, but-"

"I'll take it."

"You want Chibi?"

"Why not? If you can't find anyone else to take it, I could always use a fire type on my team."

"It'll be hard to train, you know."

"That's fine. Just send it over, will you?"

"Whatever you say."

So, Jiraiya walked off screen to get Chibi, and save Kakashi from getting too frustrated. The little fire pokémon wore a Konoha headband that was slightly too big for its head. It covered the top of Chibi's eyes, but didn't seem to bother him.

"Okay, Chibi… listen, you have to stay _inside_ the pokéball until you get to Konan, okay?" Jiraiya asked.

"_Lithe!"_

Konan walked over to the transporter to wait for her new pokémon. However, the instant the pokéball dropped onto the table, Growlithe jumped out.

"Nice to meet you, Chibi."

Growlithe barked in response, and quickly began exploring every inch of the pokémon center.

"_Is that a Growlithe?" _Eevee asked, watching it walk by.

"_I think so."_ Nagato replied.

"Why is it here?"

"_It's a Pokémon Center, it probably got hurt."_

"_Oh, yeah."_

Konan followed Growlithe until it walked into the lobby, and jumped up on Deidara.

"What's this, un?"

"Growlithe… it's name is Chibi, and it's my new pokémon."

Deidara pulled Chibi's headband off, and started to dig through his bag.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, if Chibi is going to stick with us, he's got to look like us, right?"

"And?"

"Have to scratch his headband… Just like the rest of us. Me, Itachi, Leader-sama, and y- wait… "

"What?"

"Never mind…" Deidara muttered, noticing that her headband wasn't scratched quite yet.

"Okay…"

Deidara finished fixing Chibi's headband, and put it back on. The pokémon dashed away, looking for something else to do.

* * *

"James, was this storm even on the map? You said it was supposed to be nice today!"

"The weatherman said it was supposed to be cloudless!" James whined.

"Doesn't matta now, does it?!" Meowth yelled. "Just keep dis t'ing floatin'!"

"I don't know if we can!" James told him.

The wind was currently throwing the Meowth-head balloon in every possible direction, making everyone on board quite sick.

_BANG!_

"Thunder now, too? There better not be lightni-"

Jessie was cut off by the very thing she was trying to talk about. Lightning struck the balloon, leaving a large hole in it. Air flew out, sending the balloon hurdling toward the ground. Charmeleon's cage flew off, and landed in some mud a few feet away from the balloon, and the unconscious Team Rocket. The impact left the door broken, allowing Charmeleon too find some safety under the tree canopy. Rain wasn't exactly its favorite thing in the world.

* * *

"Calm this storm down before we get hit with something." Sasuke growled.

"I told you, I can't. I can't control it."

"You created it. You stop it."

"It doesn't matter. We're close to that Uzumaki boy, and his pokémon. That is our task." Pein said.

* * *

A/N: Alright, so that wasn't too serious, but the next chapter will start being less crack-ish, and more serious. And Konan's headband wasn't scratched because her evolutionary stage at this point is from her group of rebels during the Amegakure civil war, where her headband was still fine. Also, I don't think she even wears a headband anymore… I didn't ever see one after she joined Akatsuki.


	39. Team 7 is split

A/N: I just noticed that I totally didn't clarify something in the end of the last chapter. It was Orochimaru's Pein and Sasuke that were talking about Naruto.

* * *

"What's up with this weather?" Konan asked. "First it's sunny, then we have a horrible storm, and now it's gone…"

"Now that it's nice, let's go, un."

_BANG!_

Deidara and Konan sighed as the clap of thunder faded, and storm clouds began to race across the sky once again.

"_I hate rain." _Yahiko mumbled.

"_It's not so bad."_ Nagato argued. _"What's wrong with it?"_

"_I thought I already explained that to you."_

"_What? Way back near that huge tree you lived in? You still think rain makes the earth look like a coward or something?"_

"_Yes. Crying shows weakness."_

"_It's not like the sky is actually crying, you know." _Eevee pointed out. _"It's just… rain. But, I don't like rain, either. Makes my fur get all matted."_

"How are we supposed to get Charmeleon from those two people? If it's raining, they can't bring Charmeleon outside… Can they?" Konan asked.

"I thought Fire types hated water, un."

"They do, which is why I don't think they'd bring Charmeleon outside in this weather… But, if they did, they could be caught in this storm now. Maybe we should go check."

"I'm not going out in that storm, un."

Konan glared at Deidara, and watched him sit down on one of the many chairs in the lobby.

"Well, _I'm_ going out to look." She said, pushing the doors open. Nagato, Yahiko and Eevee followed her outside, attempting to hide under one umbrella.

* * *

"Sakura… When did Itachi leave?"

"A while ago. Which is why we're staying here until he comes back."

"Where did he say he was going?"

"Celadon."

"Let's go."

"Sasuke, your foot is broken, and Celadon isn't exactly _close_."

However, Sasuke was not about to be silenced by Sakura's argument. He managed to push himself up, and limp out the door into the lobby, while Sakura followed close behind him.

"You really want to _walk _all the way to Celadon?"

"Yes."

"Fine… But, if you get hurt, I'm dragging you right back to the Pokémon Center."

Sasuke ignored her threat, and continued walking until he got to the door that lead outside.

"That's one heck of a storm…" Sakura muttered. "You're a Fire type… That's not going to be fun…"

Sasuke grabbed a coat off the coat rack, and used it as an umbrella. Sakura followed him outside, hoping that whoever owned that coat wouldn't mind if it was borrowed.

* * *

"_This is ridiculous." _Yahiko growled. _"Charmeleon isn't here, why are we?"_

"_This umbrella isn't big enough, either…" _Eevee muttered.

"_Come on, let's go find something to hide under."_ Yahiko said, walking toward the trees.

Konan stayed where she was, just in case those two oh-so-trustworthy 'daycare' owners came back.

"_There's really no point in finding shelter… We're soaking wet, anyway…" _Nagato pointed out.

"_We can dry off a bit if we find shelter."_

"_Why don't we go back to the pokémon center?" _Eevee suggested.

"_Because Konan will get mad if we just leave."_

* * *

"Are you sure you're alright, Sasuke?" Sakura asked for what seemed like the millionth time.

"I'm fine. Stop asking."

"Sasuke, I'm just worried… You always say you're fine, even when you're not."

"The only time I'll _ever_ be fine is after I kill Itachi."

"You have to be well enough to actually fight, you know."

Sasuke waved Sakura's logic off, and wondered how he was going to get any work done if she was going to be so concerned.

"I'm going to the bathroom." He muttered, limping off into a group of bushes. He stopped when Sakura started to follow him. "Can I get some privacy, or not?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes."

"Whatever… It's not like I haven't seen what's down there, you know." Sakura sighed, walking back out to the path. Sasuke ignored her awkward comment, and managed to slip away.

* * *

"Charmeleon _can't_ be out here in this weather!" Eevee yelled. "He'd die in a minute! It's pouring rain!"

"Exactly… Let's go back." Nagato suggested.

Yahiko agreed, and the three of them started to walk back. Eevee tried to hide under their cloaks for protection, but it was a lot harder than it sounded.

"_James… James, get up! MEOWTH! Both of you, get up!"_

The three pokémon turned toward the voice, thinking that it sounded awfully familiar.

"Is that Jessie, from Team Rocket?" Eevee asked.

"Sounds like it. Let's go check." Yahiko said.

When the three of them reached the clearing that Jessie was in, they noticed that the balloon had crashed.

"What happened?" Eevee asked.

"Must've been the storm."

* * *

"_WAAAAAHHHHH!"_

While it wasn't exactly on the top of Sasuke's 'to-do' list, he decided to go and find out what the hell that ridiculous screaming noise was. It sounded like a young girl. Maybe she had been injured? Sakura-chan would be able to help, if that was the case. If she had someone else to worry about, perhaps Sasuke could get some peace and quiet. After a few minutes of following the irritating sound, he found out that it was coming from a small, lonely bush. He pushed the branches aside to find a little Sakura, who was clutching a Konoha headband so tightly that her hands had begun to bleed.

"What's your problem?" Sasuke asked coldly.

"S-Sasuke?" She squeaked, wiping the tears away.

"Why are you crying?" He demanded.

Sakura practically jumped out of the bush, and tackled poor Sasuke. He fell to the ground, unable to balance with a broken foot.

"Get off."

"N-no! You're not leaving again, Sasuke! They won't take you! I won't let them!" She screamed.

"What are you talking about?!"

* * *

"What was Team Rocket doing here in the first place?" Eevee wondered.

"Something stupid." Yahiko told her.

"Obviously…"

After their detour through the crash site, the three of them tried to find their way back to Konan.

"What's that?" Nagato asked, pointing toward a strange glow in the distance.

"…A fire…?" Eevee suggested. "It looks like one."

"Who the hell makes a fire during a rainstorm?" Yahiko huffed.

Out of curiosity, the pokémon went to see who would do such a thing. What they found was a Charmeleon, who looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Charmeleon?" Eevee asked.

"Eevee? Nagato? Yahiko? What are you guys doing here?"

"Shouldn't _we_ be asking that question?" Nagato pointed out. "Why are you outside in a rainstorm?"

"Team Rocket took me up in their balloon, but they crashed… This storm sent them out of control."

"Team Rocket took you? How?"

"I don't know! I came out of my pokéball, and I was in their balloon!"

"That's not important now… You need to get inside, where it's dry." Yahiko told him.

* * *

"Sakura, get this thing off of me!" Sasuke half-yelled, stumbling over to Sakura-chan.

"What?" She asked, startled by the random demand.

"No! You can't take Sasuke! Not again!"

"Is that a Sakura? My pre-evolution?"

"Yes, and it keeps whining about how 'Sasuke' got taken away… Now it's clinging to me, and it's annoying. Get. It. Off."

"NO! Stay away!" The clingy pink-haired pokémon screamed, ducking under Sakura-chan's hand.

* * *

"What happened?" Nurse Joy asked, drying Charmeleon off with a towel.

"I don't know… Nagato, Yahiko and Eevee brought it back, but I don't know where they found it." Konan told her.

"It'll be fine, I think… It's just a little wet. It must've found some shelter."

"Okay… Hey, Deidara!"

"What, un?"

"Since Charmeleon didn't evolve, we'll have to walk over to Maiden's Peak."

"Damn… How far is that?"

"Not too far… But it's still a hike."

"Fine…"

A few seconds later, the doors to the pokémon center flew open, making a dull thump as they hit the wall. Sasuke-kun and Sakura-chan walked in, with the little Sakura still clinging to Sasuke-kun for dear life.

"_It's not injured… the only problems were the cuts across her hands…" _Sakura-chan said. _"Other than that, she's fine. What happened that made her so upset?"_

"_Obviously, something to do with a Sasuke." _Sasuke-kun pointed out. _"That's all she's been whining about for the past twenty minutes."_

Nurse Joy ran over to see if she could help, though the little Sakura was the least of her problems. Sasuke-kun was the only injured person in the group, with his foot.

"How did you sneak out?" Nurse Joy asked. "Get back in the bed, and stop putting stress on that foot! You'll break it even more!"

Sakura-chan made sure that he would indeed get back in his bed, and lifted him up. This was rather embarrassing for Sasuke-kun, because he wasn't exactly okay with being carried across a pokémon center by Sakura-chan. Nurse Joy pried the younger Sakura off, and took her to a different room.

"_What was her problem?" _Nagato asked.

"_I don't know… But she sure looked upset." _Eevee muttered. _"Should we go check it out? I mean, we're not leaving until Charmeleon dries off a little more."_

Yahiko followed Eevee and Nagato into the room, where Sakura had taken a seat on a nearby bed, and was clutching the pillow to her chest. When Eevee jumped up to her, Sakura tried to wipe the tears off her face.

"V-Vulpix?" She asked, thinking that the small brown pokémon was actually someone else.

"Um… Sorry. I'm an Eevee…"

Sakura pushed her face in the pillow once again, allowing a sob to shake her entire body.

"What's wrong?" Eevee asked.

"S-Sasuke's gone… Sasuke and Naruto are gone…"

"Naruto? Doesn't Konan know that kid?" Nagato asked. "Didn't they battle?"

"I think so…"

"You know my trainer?" Sakura asked.

"You said… He's gone?" Eevee interrupted.

"He… These two pokémon took them away! They were these big scary pokémon! Sasuke and Naruto tried to fight them off… But… They couldn't! When they both fainted, the two scary pokémon took them away!"

"Scary pokémon?" Yahiko asked.

"Yeah! The pokédex said they weren't pokémon, but I _know_ they were! They were pokémon!"

"What did they look like?"

"One of them… One of them looked kind of like Sasuke-kun… But, it couldn't have been. It was so big and ugly… But it had the same attacks as Sasuke-kun, too!"

"What about the other one?"

"The other one looked a lot like a Pein… But, it looked so different at the same time! And it had the same moves as that Pein in Amegakure, and… I don't know!"

"You've seen a Pein?" Eevee asked.

"When Naruto went with Jiraiya to Ame… I saw one there…"

"_Yahiko! Nagato! Eevee! Come on, we're leaving now!"_ Konan yelled from the lobby. _"We've gotta get to Maiden's Peak!"_

* * *

A/N: Okay… Next chapter coming soon, I have it planned out!


	40. Orochimaru's lair

A/N: So, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

"So… What exactly are you going to do with that mask, anyway?" Konan asked.

"I don't know. Throw it out, un. It's not like we have a reason to keep it."

"Maybe you should give it back to Madara… I mean, you did kind of rip it off of his face."

"What's he going to do with it? Put it back on? That's stupid."

Charmeleon happened to be walking next to Deidara, and was listening to the argument. What was the big deal? It was a mask! In an attempt to answer this question, Charmeleon took the mask from Deidara, and began to look at it.

"Well, if we throw it out, we'll have to wait until we get to the next town." Konan said.

"Why? Just throw it in the bushes, and nobody will know, un."

"That would be considered littering."

"Who cares!? We're in the middle of nowhere!"

Meanwhile, Nagato and Yahiko were busy with much more important matters.

"…_Hey… Nagato."_

"_What?"_

"_Don't look now, but we're being followed."_

"_I know. I hear them, too."_

"_I think there are three of them…"_

"_Yeah."_

"_There are people following us?" _Charmeleon asked.

"_Pokémon." _Yahiko corrected.

"_Are they powerful?" _

"_I don't know… It doesn't matter. We could probably take them, they're outnumbered."_

* * *

"Sakura, this is humiliating. Put me down."

"If I put you down, you'll try to walk. Your foot won't-"

"If you say one more thing about my goddamn foot, I'm going to hurt you."

"We're almost at the next town, anyway… When we get there, you can relax for a while."

"Relax? That's all I've been doing for the last few days! I'm sick of it!"

"Stop whining."

"Stop treating me like a child!"

"Stop acting like one!"

"Hey! If you keep yelling, they'll hear us!" The smaller Sakura yelled.

"And they won't hear _you_ screaming like that?" Sasuke growled.

"Alright, everyone just be quiet." Sakura-chan sighed. "Let's… Keep going."

* * *

"Well, there's a solution." Konan said, watching Charmeleon pull the mask over his own face. "Charmeleon can keep it."

Sadly, Tobi's mask wasn't exactly made for a pokémon with such a large snout. Konan pulled the mask down further until it was hanging off of Charmeleon's neck.

"A necklace, un?" Deidara asked. "Well, if that solves the problem, whatever.."

"_Yahiko, they're not going to just leave us alone. Maybe we should attack."_ Nagato suggested.

"_Yeah… On the count of three?"_

"_One."_

"_Two."_

* * *

"Why are you even following us?" Sasuke asked. "I'm not the Sasuke that got 'taken away', so what's your problem?"

"If I stay at the pokémon center, what will I do? I can't do anything to help Sasuke there."

"And following us is going to save him?"

"Just until I find someone to help me!"

"Sasuke, lighten up." Sakura-chan said. "She's just a kid."

"Whatever."

"LOOK OUT!" Sakura yelled.

"Huh? AH!"

Sakura-chan and Sakura jumped out of the way of a Flamethrower, and then quickly ducked to doge a Water Gun. Unfortunately for Sakura-chan, her center of gravity had been changed by Sasuke's weight on her back, and she fell over.

"Get up, they're onto us!" Sakura yelled.

"Why are you following us?" Yahiko demanded, walking up to them.

"Uh…"

"Yahiko, isn't that the Sakura from the pokémon center yesterday?" Nagato asked.

"Yeah!" Sakura yelled. "It's me!"

"What are you doing here?" Yahiko asked.

"I… I was hoping you and your trainers could help find my Sasuke."

"_Your_ Sasuke?" Yahiko teased.

"How do you expect us to do that?" Nagato asked her.

"Well… Those two pokémon… Before Naruto went down, he said something about Orochimaru, and a Curse Stone…"

"Orochimaru… That's the guy we're going to see, isn't it?"

"In that case, you can help me!" Sakura yelled, overjoyed by her luck.

"Well, sounds easy enough. Bring back a trainer and a pokémon. We can do that." Yahiko said. "Sure, we'll get them for you."

Sakura smiled, and jumped up to hug Yahiko. This was awkward for him, because he doesn't usually _get_ hugs.

So, Yahiko, Nagato and Charmeleon walked back to their trainers, and Sakura chased after them.

"She just ditched us." Sasuke-kun said, stating the obvious.

"She_ did_ say that she was only going to follow us until she found help." Sakura-chan pointed out.

* * *

"Is this Sakura staying with us or something?" Konan asked.

Nagato and Yahiko nodded, and Konan turned around to face Deidara.

"Deidara, are you almost ready? We should go soon."

"No. Find something else to do while I eat, will you, un?"

"Alright… Well, while we're waiting for him, why don't we do a little training? Sakura, do you want to join?"

Sakura nodded, deciding that she'd need to be strong if she was going to try and save Sasuke.

* * *

"Alright… Nagato, you need to try and learn to use Metronome properly… So, you can practice that. Yahiko, you can try and work on your dodging, and Sakura can fix up any injuries we get."

So, Sakura went off to the side to avoid any potentially dangerous situations, while Yahiko and Nagato moved into battle positions.

"You know what to do. Metronome!"

Yahiko waited patiently as Nagato brought his hands next to his face. His fingers began to glow, and Yahiko began to question the awesomeness of this move when Nagato began to wave his fingers back and forth in a very metronome-like way.

"That's the move?" He asked. "What the hell is that going to-?"

However, Yahiko quickly learned why Metronome was so wonderful. Shards of ice began to form out of thin air, all aimed at Yahiko. They flew at him, and cut his cloak as he tried to jump away.

"Again!" Konan demanded.

The training went on for about ten minutes before Nurse Joy came outside, and told Konan that Itachi was on the phone.

"Hey, Itachi… Where are you, anyway?" Konan asked.

"That's not important." Itachi told her. "I hear you're going to fight Orochimaru."

"Yeah, I guess. He didn't say anything about battling in that letter, but we might."

"Do you have an electric type pokémon?"

"No."

"Ice?"

"No."

"Rock?"

"No. Why, what's the big deal?"

"I'm sending you Raichu."

"NO!" Konan yelled. Itachi stopped, and wondered why Konan would be so opposed to the idea.

"You need something that can defeat flying types. I know that Deidara has a fire type, and you have a water type, which means that Ground and Bug types won't be a problem.."

"Nagato knows Rock Tomb. We'll be fine."

"Raichu is powerful enough for that… Nagato will be needed to defeat other pokémon."

"How do you know all this?"

"I've battled Orochimaru before. He is strong, and his Tayuya is a flying type."

"So, that's why you're sending Raichu over?"

"Yeah."

"Keep him."

"What? Why?"

"Because that Raichu of yours is a pervert, and I don't want to deal with that."

"If he tries anything, I'll make sure he never sees the light of day again." Itachi assured her.

"…Alright, fine. I'm sending him back as soon as we're done, though."

"That's good. I'll need him for other battles."

Konan waited for Raichu's pokéball, and then let Itachi go on his way. Nagato and Yahiko were not too pleased about this arrangement, and were determined to keep the perverted rat away from their trainer.

"_Oh, calm down." _Raichu told them. _"I won't do anything to her, because Itachi would kill me."_

"_Good." _Yahiko growled.

* * *

"_What do you mean I have to stay behind?!"_ Sakura demanded.

"_It could be dangerous, especially after what you've told us."_ Yahiko explained. _"You'd just be a liability."_

"_A liability?!"_

"_Look, we'll get your trainer and Sasuke back, okay?"_ Nagato asked_. "Everything will be fine."_

"_What am I supposed to do? Just sit here?"_

"_You could… Help Nurse Joy or something."_

"_Fine…"_

So, Deidara and Konan set off for Orochimaru's lair, while Sakura tried to occupy herself while they were gone.

"Do you even know where we're going, un?" Deidara asked. "This place is in the middle of the woods, from the look of this map."

Konan stopped, realizing that Deidara was right.

"How are we supposed to find this place…? You're right."

However, Raichu, Nagato and Yahiko had been there before. They decided to take the lead, and brought the two trainers right to the door.

"_Didn't that Tayuya tell us never to come back here?"_ Raichu asked. _"That Sasuke-kun, too."_

"_Well… they kind of invited us." _Nagato pointed out.

"_We could take those two down, anyway_." Yahiko said.

"Hello?" Konan asked, walking into the hallway of the lair.

"Why, hello…" Orochimaru hissed, walking out of the shadows. "I see you got my letter."

"Yeah, what the hell do you want?" Deidara asked. "I hope you know how much it sucked to walk all the way here."

"I thought I'd challenge you two to… a friendly battle."

"I'd never call a battle friendly…" Deidara muttered. "You didn't make us walk all the way here just for that, un."

"Of course not. I'll obviously give you something if you win."

"Like what?"

"A pokémon. A Curse Stone. Take your pick."

"Curse Stone?" Konan asked. "You mentioned it made pokémon evolve… what did you mean?"

"TAYUYA!" Orochimaru yelled. The pokémon he had yelled for came up to the group, looking rather annoyed.

"Show them what that Curse Stone does, will you?"

Tayuya obeyed, and demonstrated the power of the Curse Stone. Horns grew from her head, and her skin became darker.

"_Nagato…"_ Yahiko began. _"I __really__ can't believe you-"_

"_Don't say it." _

"_Are you kidding?" Raichu asked. "Of course he did. Look at her. She's __so horny__!"_

The three other pokémon sighed and groaned at Raichu's overused joke.

"That… is that still a pokémon?" Konan asked.

"Yes." Orochimaru said. "A new breed… your pokédex won't recognize it… If you'd like, I can put the data in for you…"

"Sure."

"Good… Come this way… We'll battle while the pokédex is updated."

* * *

A/N: I feel like this chapter is short, but a new one will come soon!


	41. Naruto, Ninetales and the Kyuubi

A/N: Alright, next chapter! By the way, the reason I picked Nagato to have Metronome is because someone (I can't remember who) in Naruto mentioned that Nagato's Rinnegan gave him the power to use any jutsu known to man. I figured the closest thing to 'any jutsu known to man' was Metronome, since it'll pick (almost) any random pokémon move.

* * *

"Konan, I have a bad feeling about this." Deidara mumbled.

"You're just paranoid."

"No… I mean, Orochimaru isn't a trustworthy guy."

"How would_ you _know?"

"Just trust me on this one, un."

"I'll believe it when I see it, Deidara."

"_So, we're battling, then?" _Yahiko asked. _"That's what Orochimaru said."_

"_Who cares, let's go look around!" _Raichu suggested.

"_Don't you dare." _Tayuya growled, glaring down at him.

"_Why not? We're here for a little while, why can't we look around?" _Raichu asked.

"_Because this isn't a place to just 'look around'." _Tayuya told him.

"_We won't __touch__ anything."_

"Tayuya, will you kindly show these two how to get to the battling arena?" Orochimaru asked. "I need to go and get my pokémon."

Tayuya glared at Raichu one last time before escorting Konan and Deidara away. Raichu, Yahiko and Nagato followed them, but were quickly distracted by a very mysterious door.

'_KYUUBI'_ It read.

"_Isn't the Kyuubi that huge nine-tailed pokémon?" _Raichu asked.

"_Yeah, it's like a big red Ninetales." _Yahiko confirmed.

Raichu was curious as to why that had been written on the door, and decided to go look inside.

"_I don't think we're supposed to go in there." _Nagato told him.

Yahiko decided to join Raichu, and ignore Nagato's warnings. The two of them disappeared inside the room, and Nagato finally decided to follow.

"_This place is pretty big." _Raichu said.

"_Yeah."_

The room was dark, and there seemed to be very few sources of light. None of them could tell where the walls were, and that just made the room feel infinitely larger. After scanning the room, Raichu spotted a large cylindrical container in the room, with a sickeningly green liquid inside.

"_Hey, what's this?"_ He asked, running up to it. When the three of them are close enough, they can see inside the container, and quickly realized what's inside.

"_There's a person in there!"_ Yahiko yelled, shocked by the discovery.

"_Isn't that Naruto?! The trainer Sakura wanted us to bring back?"_ Nagato asked.

"_He's unconscious."_ Raichu mumbled.

A few feet away was another container, with Naruto's Vulpix inside. Vulpix was also unconscious, and the three confused bystanders began to worry.

"_What's going on, here?" _Yahiko asked. _"This isn't… normal."_

"_I dunno, but let's get out of here." _Raichu said, backing away from the container. However, Raichu backed into something else. It felt wet, and warm… air came out of the thing, and pushed Raichu forward. When Raichu saw what the thing was, he felt like he was paralyzed.

"_G-guys…?"_

"_What is it, Raichu?" _Yahiko asked. When he finally saw what Raichu was so scared of, he realized that this probably wasn't the safest place in the world. What stood in front of them was the Kyuubi, who was chained to the floor, and looked very angry. It tried to open its mouth to roar at the terrified pokémon, but the chains around its muzzle wouldn't allow that. It settled for growling, and watched Raichu, Yahiko and Nagato run out the door, back into the hallway.

"Come on, you guys!" Konan yelled, waving them over.

"_Okay, we never speak of that again."_ Raichu said.

"_B-but… Sakura asked us to bring that kid back." _Nagato told him.

"_I'm not risking my life against the Kyuubi for that! I'm too young and handsome to die!"_

"_Lets see if we can find Sasuke, first."_ Yahiko suggested.

Sasuke wasn't particularly difficult to find, because he happened to be sitting near the edge of the battle arena, next to Orochimaru's other Pokémon. All of them were in curse seal form, making them much harder to recognize.

"This is a special battle." Orochimaru informed them as they came inside. "Each of you, pick three pokémon."

"Three, un?" Deidara asked.

"Three, because both of you are battling back-to-back. If each of you picks three, that'll make six pokémon."

"Alright… Raichu, you're fighting, obviously." Konan said.

"_Rai!"_

"Itachi said I'd need Nagato… Wartortle would be good, too."

Yahiko looked quite insulted that he wouldn't be battling.

"Yahiko-san, I'll need you for later… We could get into a battle on the way back."

Yahiko rolled his eyes, knowing that was just a half-assed excuse.

"Deidara, what about you?" Orochimaru asked.

"Charmeleon, Mankey, and Madara."

Madara glared at his trainer, realizing why he had been called out. A battle? No way. He walked past Deidara, and stood in the corner.

"What are you doing, un? Come on!"

"_Mada…"_

"I don't think Madara wants to fight." Konan told him.

"Fine, I'll battle myself."

"As for my six." Orochimaru began. "Sasuke-kun, Tayuya, Kimimaro, Jirobo, Kabuto, and Kidomaru. Now then, who are you sending out first?"

"Wartortle, are you ready?" Konan asked.

"_Tortle!"_

"Good… Get out there!"

Wartortle jumped out in front of Konan, and Deidara backed away to let her battle, first.

"Alright." Orochimaru said with a smile. "You're using a Water type… Flying, Electric and Fire should take you out…"

"That means that one of your Pokémon… has three types?" Konan asked.

"Yes… Sasuke-kun has three types."

"How is that possible?"

"The Curse Stone." Orochimaru explained. "Sasuke-kun!"

The Pokémon Orochimaru had called stepped out onto the field, studying his opponent.

"Your move first." Orochimaru told his guest.

"Alright… Wartortle, use Water Gun on that Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke-kun avoided the Water Gun, even without Orochimaru's instruction. While Konan was distracted by the battle, Orochimaru waved the younger Sasuke over.

"_What are they doing?" _Raichu asked, pointing at the two of them.

Nagato, Yahiko and Mankey looked over to see what he was talking about. Orochimaru was holding Sasuke close, and whispering in his ear.

"_Creepy stuff, that's what."_ Mankey muttered.

Sasuke disappeared into the hallway behind Orochimaru, leaving the rest of the Pokémon looking rather confused.

"_It's probably nothing."_ Yahiko muttered. _"It probably just went to get something."_

Orochimaru called Sasuke-kun out of battle a few seconds later, much to Konan's surprise. Neither of the Pokémon were getting tired, and it seemed strange to pull out so quickly.

"Alright… let's see how you do against Tayuya." Orochimaru said, sending out another one of his Pokémon.

"That's a flying type… Raichu, you're probably the best bet." Konan told him.

"_Rai!"_

However, Nagato jumped out in front of Raichu, and looked ready to battle. Konan was confused by this, but didn't pull him back out.

"_Hey! HEY! What's the big idea?! Are you tryin' to steal my thunder?!"_ Raichu screamed.

"_No, but I know her better than you do. I know her moves, it'll be easier if I go." _

"_You were with her for THREE DAYS! You don't learn that much about a person in THREE DAYS!" _Raichu argued. _"I mean, unless you had some kind of epic training montage while you were making that egg of yours… I don't know how that would work. Hey, can you teach me?!"_

Nagato tried to ignore Raichu's request, and focused on the task at hand.

"…_Do you hear something…?" _Mankey asked.

The rest of the Pokémon that weren't battling stopped and listened, but didn't know what Mankey was talking about.

"_No."_ Raichu mumbled.

"SASUKE!" Orochimaru practically screamed. "NOW!"

* * *

A/N: I call hax on Orochimaru's Curse Stone.

Short chapter, I know. Sorry, I've been working on some other things lately. Once I get back in the crackfic mood, I'll update this!


	42. Teleport

A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates, my computer broke down again.

* * *

"SASUKE!" Orochimaru practically screamed. "NOW!"

It seemed that both of the Sasuke in the room responded to this command. The larger one by Orochimaru's side jumped up, and charged at Konan. The second Sasuke, who had been in the hallway behind the arena, came flying through the door with a Chidori aimed at Yahiko. Konan managed to change into her pokémon form, and avoid the attack. Yahiko, on the other hand, was not as fortunate. He grabbed his attacker's hand, and the Chidori still managed to make contact with his chest.

"_I told you something was up!"_ Mankey yelled.

"_Can we discuss this later?!"_ Yahiko asked, pushing Sasuke down. However, by pushing Sasuke down like this, the Chidori dragged along his stomach, and just made his injury even worse.

"Tayuya! Take out that Nagato!" Orochimaru commanded.

Nagato had been slightly distracted by the commotion a few feet away, but looked back at Tayuya once he realized that she was going to attack.

Konan had split herself up into paper at this point, abandoning her bag and making her much more difficult to hit. However, the Sasuke-kun she was fighting seemed to have a way to take her out. His body began to spark, and Raichu recognized the attack.

"_That's thunderbolt!"_ Raichu yelled, running to stop him. However, Deidara was able to help with this problem, and sent a bomb right into the Sasuke-kun's face.

"_Nagato, use Metronome!"_ Yahiko suggested._ "Maybe it'll do something useful!"_

Nagato jumped away from Tayuya, and started the attack. Within moments, the entire team was transported away from the arena, leaving Orochimaru and his pokémon feeling a bit confused.

"…_Where did they go…?"_ Tayuya asked.

"_Who cares?"_ Sasuke-kun growled.

* * *

"Okay… We're safe, I think." Konan muttered.

"No!" Deidara yelled. "Let's get back there and kick his ass!"

"Deidara, we're outnumbered! We'd be dead! Besides, Yahiko is injured."

Indeed he was. He clutched his chest, trying to hide the obvious red stain on his hands.

"_You took a beating."_ Raichu mumbled.

"_I'm fine."_ Yahiko said, glaring at the electric rat.

Konan reached for her bag, but quickly realized that it wasn't there.

"Metronome didn't teleport my bag here… That means Orochimaru still has it… Deidara, do you have any potions or something?"

"No, un! I don't! Let's go get _your_ bag and kill that guy!"

Yahiko hit Deidara with a Water Gun in an attempt to calm him down. However, this was painful, and just made Deidara even angrier. He threw his bag down and charged at Yahiko, leaving Konan to dig through the bag herself. He did have a potion (along with other helpful things), and Konan wondered why he had lied to her.

"_Hey, hey! Break it up!" _Raichu yelled, watching Yahiko and Deidara wrestle. _"You're already injured, you know!"_

"_Deidara started it…"_ Nagato pointed out.

After a few more seconds of wrestling, Nagato pulled the two of them apart with Psychic, and put them down.

"Yahiko, come here. I've got a potion and some gauze. It should help." Konan said.

Raichu looked over to see Konan breaking off a piece of gauze with her teeth. This almost immediately made him laugh.

"_Hey, are we playing doctor, here? I've got an injury she could look at… it's a bit below the waist, if you know what I mean."_

Yahiko and Nagato rolled their eyes, ignoring Raichu.

"Take off your shirt, Yahiko." Konan sighed, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Raichu just laughed even harder as Yahiko did this, making everyone slightly uncomfortable.

"_What's so funny?"_ Mankey asked.

"_Are you kidding? What about this __isn't__ funny?"_

Mankey sighed, and decided not to argue with him. However, Yahiko was quickly fed up with Raichu's laughter.

"_Stop." _

"_Dude, what is your problem? You've got a sexy woman wrapping gauze around your chest." _Raichu pointed out.

"…_And…?"_

"_So, you agree that she's sexy?" _Raichu asked.

"_Is there a point to this argument?"_

"_You do!"_

Raichu would not shut up about that for the next five minutes. Yahiko kicked him in the rear, and sent him flying into a nearby rock.

"_What was that for?!"_

"_Why don't you shut up and learn to be a gentleman for once?!"_

Raichu was annoyed by that suggestion, and began to charge at Yahiko. His body began to spark, and was suddenly surrounded by a giant bolt of lightning.

"_Volt tackle?"_ Nagato asked, watching him come closer. When Raichu jumped up to strike Yahiko in the face, Nagato stopped him with Psychic. After Raichu was stuck in the air, he was sent flying into a tree, where he plopped down on one of the branches, and glared at the two of them.

"_You're no fun…"_

Meanwhile, Mankey went around releasing all of the other pokémon to fill them in on what had just happened.

"_That's not good… And Konan's bag is still there?" _Butterfree asked.

"_Yeah."_

"Nagato, did you really have to throw him up in a _tree_?" Konan sighed.

Eevee looked over to see what Konan was talking about, and grinned at Raichu's situation.

"_How'd he get up there?"_ She asked.

Yahiko pointed at Nagato, who looked a bit regretful.

"_Nice!"_ Eevee laughed.

Konan continued wrapping the gauze around Yahiko's chest, and Raichu began to smile again.

"_You know, if that injury goes any further down, you're gonna have to take your pants off." _Raichu told him.

Yahiko tried to ignore the statement, but Eevee saw how irritated he was.

"_Want me to get him?"_ She asked.

"_Go for it."_

Eevee ran over to the tree, and began to claw her way up the trunk. Once she reached the branches, it was easier. She jumped up to Raichu's branch and walked over to him.

"_Hi, Raichu."_

"_Hm…? Oh, Eevee. It's you."_

Eevee puffed herself up as much as she possibly could, and began to come closer.

"_What are you doing?"_ Raichu asked her, feeling slightly confused. He began to back away as she got up in his face, and too close for comfort. She continued walking until Raichu backed up to the edge of the branch. He began to wobble, unable to keep his balance.

"_Eevee, stop it! I'm going to fall if you get any closer."_

Eevee decided that Iron Tail would push him off faster. He fell to the ground and groaned as Yahiko laughed at his pain.

"…Anyway, we have to go back to Orochimaru… My bag is still there." Konan muttered, ignoring Raichu and Eevee.

"Who cares about the bag?!" Deidara yelled.

"I do. There are important things in there."

"Like what?!"

Konan hesitated before listing the items.

"Well… My Pokédex… potions and stuff… and Nagato's… egg."

Nagato froze at the sound of that, looking at his trainer and praying to god that this was some sort of cruel joke.

"Why do I get yelled at for keeping it in my bag, and yet you can keep it in yours? And look; now it's been stolen, un." Deidara huffed.

"Look, can we just go back to town and come up with a plan, here?" Konan asked.

It turns out that Teleport had only sent them deeper into the forest, which meant that finding the town at Maiden's Peak wasn't too difficult. On the way there, Nagato began to understand the severity of the situation, because Orochimaru now had the egg in his hands. That couldn't be good.

"_Nagato, what should we tell Sakura?"_ Yahiko asked.

"_What?"_

"_Should we tell her what happened to that Sasuke? I mean, that little Sasuke was probably the one she was talking about."_

"_I guess we kind of have to…"_

* * *

"He… He's a monster now?"

"We can fix it… It's not permanent, or anything." Yahiko told her.

"You don't know that."Madara growled.

"That Sasuke-kun could go back to normal." Nagato pointed out.

The arguing pokémon sat in a room of four bunk beds, with their trainers in the next room. Raichu was still with them, seeing as Itachi wasn't anywhere near a Pokémon center at the moment. The Sasuke-kun and Sakura-chan who had been waiting to see Itachi again sat with them, attempting to gather any kind of useful information.

They sat in their own beds, leaving Sakura, Sakura-chan, Nagato, and Raichu on the top bunks, and Sasuke-kun, Madara, and Yahiko on the bottom bunks, with Butterfree, Eevee, Mankey and Nidoran taking up the last bottom bunk.

"We're going back there, anyway." Nagato pointed out. "We'll get him back… don't worry."

"We are not going back there." Madara said.

"We have to." Yahiko told him. "Sasuke, Naruto and that egg are still there."

"N-Naruto's there, too?!" Sakura screamed.

"…O-oh… Right." Yahiko muttered.

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah!"

"Really?" Madara laughed. "From what I heard, Naruto is unconscious in a disgusting vat of green ooze."

Sakura shook, feeling overwhelmed by this information. Sasuke _and_ Naruto?

Yahiko pushed himself up onto Sakura's bunk to calm her down.

"Hey, don't worry about it. We'll get Sasuke and Naruto back… Trust me."

The poor pink-haired pokémon leaned on Yahiko for support, and he decided to stay with her for a while.

"What was your trainer like?" Sasuke-kun asked, speaking for the first time that evening.

"He was… He was kind of an idiot sometimes, and he could be really annoying… but, he was nice and really strong…"

"No wonder your Sasuke left." He muttered.

"W-what?"

"Your trainer sounds annoying. Sakura are annoying. No wonder he left."

"HEY!" Sakura-chan yelled, looking down at him. "Did you just call me annoying?!"

"You're a Sakura_-chan_. You were annoying before you evolved."

"Why you little-!"

Sasuke glared at Sakura-chan as she began to charge up a Focus Punch.

"Please, don't fight!" Sakura yelled. "There's no point!"

"…Anyway, Sakura…" Nagato continued. "We're going back tomorrow… don't worry."

* * *

Later that night:

Yahiko, who was still up in Sakura's bunk, being used as a pillow, woke up when he heard something hit the floor. He watched Nagato leave the room, and didn't think much of it. However, he wasn't back ten minutes later, and Yahiko began to wonder where he had gone. He pushed a pillow up against Sakura so she wouldn't wake up, and went out to find Nagato.

* * *

A/N: Short-ish chapter, sorry. By the way, I know we all like 1st generation pokémon more than 4th generation, but would you guys mind if I put a 4th generation in here? Shinx? (I love Shinx, and the evolutions.)


	43. Shinx

A/N: Okay, so my computer is 100% up and running now, so hopefully I'll get some more frequent updates coming out.

Also, they revealed the first 2 pokémon of generation 5! I think one of them was called Zoroark… Go Google gen. 5 pokémon! Zoroark kind of looks like the lovechild of Lucario and Shadow the Hedgehog…

* * *

"How could they just… disappear?" Konan muttered.

"They probably didn't get too far, un." Deidara told her.

"We should go look for them, though! Who knows where they are?!"

"_Who cares?" _Madara asked, fully aware that the trainers couldn't understand his language.

"_I hope they're okay…" _Butterfree said.

"_Whatever. As long as they're not dead, it's okay!" _Eevee sighed, stretching out on the bunk bed.

So, the trainers and their pokémon went out to find Yahiko and Nagato. Sasuke-kun, Sakura-chan and the younger Sakura followed them, having nothing better to do at the moment.

"_So… what happened? They just disappeared?" _Raichu asked.

"_I guess so." _Butterfree told him. _"They're strong, though. I'm sure they're fine."_

Deidara and Konan didn't think to look in the forest near Orochimaru's base, believing that Nagato and Yahiko wouldn't go anywhere near that place. They looked almost everywhere else, eventually leaving Maiden's Peak, and into a rather grassy field. They searched until around one in the afternoon, when hunger finally drove them to stop and have a meal.

"You guys go play; I'll get the pokémon food out." Konan said, waving the pokémon away.

"_If we don't find those two, we'll never find Sasuke and Naruto!" _The little Sakura yelled, thinking only of her team.

"_Calm down, you're overreacting."_ Raichu told her. _"It's not as if they're dead."_

"_They could be." _Madara said. _"They were alive a whole twenty-four hours ago, who knows what's happened between then and now?" _

"_NO!" _Sakura screamed.

"_Shut up and stop freaking her out!" _Raichu growled. _"Don't you know you're not supposed to upset girls?"_

"_You're one to talk." _Eevee muttered.

"_What?!"_

"_You upset them, too. Just… differently."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_You break their hearts, or creep them out."_

"_I've never broken a girl's heart!"_

"_I wouldn't be surprised. Your method seems to be love 'em and leave 'em!"_

"_Eevee, you don't know that." _Butterfree said. _"Don't criticize him when you don't know what you're talking about!" _

Raichu and Butterfree stopped walking, while Eevee went on ahead, not looking where she was going. Because of this, she didn't see that there was someone in front of her, and ended up walking right into them.

"_Hey, watch where you're walking!" _Eevee yelled, completely convinced that it wasn't her fault.

"_S-sorry!"_

Eevee looked at what she had bumped into and saw a small blue pokémon, which was about her size, give or take a few inches.

"_Who the heck are you?"_ She demanded.

"_I-I'm a Shinx!"_ It muttered, widening its eyes in fear.

"_I didn't think any Shinx lived around here…_" Raichu muttered, walking up to examine it.

Raichu was a whole twelve inches taller than Shinx, and the poor little pokémon was a bit terrified of the electric rat.

"_Whatever."_ Eevee huffed, marching back to Konan and Deidara. Butterfree followed her, afraid of upsetting the poor Shinx even more. Sakura-chan, however, was very interested in the little pokémon, and walked over to see it.

"_So, you're a Shinx? How did you get all the way over here?" _She asked.

At the sight of Sakura-chan, Shinx began to spark, and immediately shocked everyone standing near him. Luckily, Raichu was an electric type and barely felt it. Sakura-chan, on the other hand, fell to the ground and was not very happy about being shocked.

"_What the heck was that for?!"_

Shinx backed away and dashed into some nearby bushes, and Sakura-chan walked back over to Sasuke-kun and began to heal her wounds. Raichu felt bad for his fellow electric type pokémon, and followed it into the bushes.

"_Hey, what happened back there?" _He asked.

"_S-sorry! Please don't hurt me!"_

"_Huh? I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just wondering why you shocked Sakura-chan."_

"_She made me nervous!"_

"_How? She just asked how you got here! By the way, I would still like to know the answer to that question."_

"_I've always been around here, and that Sakura-chan is just… so big and scary!"_

"_But… Shinx aren't supposed to live around here… They live up in Sinnoh…"_

"_I don't know, then! I've always been here!" Shinx snapped._

"_Okay, okay. Calm down. Sakura-chan shouldn't make you that nervous, though. She's nice."_

"_She's a girl!"_

"…_And…?"_

"_Girls are scary, you know! They laugh at you if you mess up, and hit you when they're mad!"_

"_Not all of them."_

"_How do you know?!"_

"_I'm great around women!"_

"…_I don't believe you…" _Shinx muttered, thinking that was impossible.

"_Oh, really? Come back out and watch me work my magic." _

Shinx and Raichu came back out of the bushes, and Raichu decided to use Butterfree as his example.

"_Hey, Butterfree!"_

Butterfree and Eevee looked over, wondering what he wanted. Eevee rolled her eyes when Butterfree walked over.

"_Yeah? What is it, Raichu?"_

Shinx watched as Raichu got closer to Butterfree. He grabbed her, and threw her into a dip.

"_Butterfree… I love you. Will you be mine forever?"_

Shinx raised an eyebrow, wondering why Raichu would even dare to try something so stupid. However, this 'stupid' idea of his worked perfectly on poor misguided Butterfree.

"_Oh, Raichu! I thought this would never happen! Yes! Yes, I will!"_

Raichu practically threw Butterfree on the ground as he turned back to Shinx.

"_See, I'm a genius!" _He exclaimed. _"It's so easy!"_

"_Huh?"_ Butterfree asked.

"_Oh, sorry." _Raichu laughed. _"I was just demonstrating something to Shinx, here. You can go sit with Eevee again."_

Butterfree thought he was joking at first, but quickly realized that he wasn't. She dragged herself back to Eevee's side, and tried to figure out what the heck had just happened.

"_You're amazing!" _Shinx yelled.

"_Yeah, and I can teach you, too!"_

"_Really?!"_

"_Stick with me, kid! You'll be going places!"_

"_Yeah! …Wait… Don't you belong to those trainers over there?"_

"_Actually, I'm only sticking with them until they find my real trainer and send me back."_

"_But… I don't belong with any of them, so I can't stay with you."_

Raichu pondered this predicament, and quickly came up with a solution.

"_Stay right there, I'll be back!"_

* * *

"_I told you he was a jerk. Why didn't you listen?"_ Eevee asked.

"_Stop asking questions and let me drown in my self-pity…" _Butterfree groaned.

"_Stop it. There are plenty of other guys, you know. Guys like Deidara…"_

"_You're just as gullible as she is…" _Mankey muttered.

Butterfree ignored this comment, and continued to slump in front of her food bowl. Raichu came over a few seconds later, and decided to eat before he executed his oh-so-brilliant plan. It took him a minute or so to notice the dirty stares he was getting.

"…_What…?"_ He asked.

"_I think you know, Raichu."_ Eevee growled.

"_Um… Nope."_

"_If you're that oblivious, get the hell out of my sight!" _Mankey yelled.

Raichu stared at her for a few more seconds before dragging himself away. He went over to Deidara, who was enjoying his own meal. Raichu reached up and quietly took an empty pokéball from his belt, and dashed all the way back to Shinx.

"_Do you know what this is, Shinx?" _Raichu asked, holding up the device.

"_Yeah… That's a pokéball."_

"_Right. It belongs to that blonde guy over there… If you get inside, you'll officially be his pokémon. That means you'll get to stick with us."_

Raichu put the pokéball down, and Shinx quickly jumped inside. The ball didn't even twitch as it secured the pokémon inside. Raichu picked it back up, and tried to quietly put it back on Deidara's belt. Sadly, Deidara noticed that.

"What are you doing, un?" He asked, taking the pokéball from Raichu's paws. Raichu struggled to get it back, but Deidara didn't even care enough to open it. He shoved the ball in his pocket, and pushed Raichu off. After deciding that Shinx was safe for now, Raichu went back to his food in an attempt to figure out why the heck everyone was so mad at him.

"_Alright, what's with the dirty looks?"_ He asked, sitting down in front of his food.

"_What do you think!?"_ Eevee yelled. _"I told you that you upset girls!"_

"_When did I upset a girl?"_

"_You're so… insensitive, stupid and oblivious!" _

"_Hey, hey! I'm a guy; we need these things explained to us! Butterfree, will you clarify this for me?" _Raichu asked.

"_No…" _

"…_Are you mad at me, too…?"_

Eevee and Mankey were completely at a loss for words after Raichu asked that question, and went back to their meals. He continued to pester Butterfree for clarification, but she ignored him, only speaking to try and get him to back off.

* * *

"Deidara… where do you think we should look next?" Konan asked, pulling out a map. "We've looked all over Maiden's Peak…"

"Maybe they went to the next town, un."

"I don't think so… They wouldn't have left without us…"

"They'll probably be back, then. Let's just go back to the Pokémon Center."

"No, we have to keep looking."

"What if they already came back? They could be waiting for us back there."

"…Fine… We'll go check."

* * *

"You two!" Nurse Joy yelled, jumping up at the sight of the two trainers. "I was hoping you'd be back!"

"What's wrong?" Konan asked.

"The pokémon who went missing earlier are back!"

"Oh!"

"Told you, Konan." Deidara snickered.

"One of them has fainted, though." Nurse Joy said.

"What happened?"

"I don't know… He looks as if he got into a fight, but the other one doesn't even have a scratch!"

"Can we see them?"

"Yes, come this way."

Nurse Joy led the two trainers to their pokémon. Nagato was knocked out in the bed, while Yahiko sat in a chair a few feet away, with Konan's bag in his lap.

"What happened to you guys? Where did you go? What happened to Nagato?" Konan asked, coming closer to them. Yahiko held up her bag, and she realized that they must've gone all the way back to Orochimaru's base.

"You went back there?! Did Nagato get knocked out by Orochimaru's pokémon?!" she demanded.

Yahiko shook his head, and pulled something out of Konan's bag. It was a piece of Nagato's egg, which had clearly been broken.

"It… broke? Where is the rest of it?!"

Yahiko shrugged, averting his eyes from her face.

"That means the pokémon inside is gone, doesn't it?"

"Obviously." Deidara scoffed.

* * *

A/N: The next chapter is going to be a little different… see you next time!


	44. Tayuya, Luxio, and the egg

A/N: So, the new pokémon movie comes out July 10th, 2010 in the USA! Anyway…

* * *

"Mom…?"

"For the last time, kid! I am _not_ your _mother_!"

A few of the nearby pokémon looked in the direction of the yelling, getting annoyed with this ongoing fuss.

"I don't know, Tayuya, it looks an awful lot like you."

"Shut up." Tayuya growled, glaring down at the pokémon who had argued with her. The pokémon was a small blue one, much like the Shinx that was now traveling with Deidara. However, it was an evolved form, known as Luxio. If anyone looked at this particular Luxio, they might think that it was crazy after seeing the wicked smile and gleam in its eye. They would be completely correct. This Luxio was absolutely insane; due to the things it had seen and endured while under Orochimaru's care. It giggled at Tayuya's anger, and looked over at the pokémon behind it.

"It does." Luxio said again.

"It does not look like me in any way, shape or form. Look at that thing's hair."

"It's just a little more red is all… It's still the same style. It's even got the same hat!"

"The eyes."

"So they're gray and have a bunch of rings around it, so what? That's just the Rinnegan, isn't it?"

"Shut up, Luxio. Just. Shut. Up."

"You're just in denial. Your motherly instincts will kick in soon."

"Luxio!"

Luxio laughed again, and trotted ahead so that Tayuya wouldn't attack him.

"I'm just saying!"

"Where are we going, anyway?!" Tayuya yelled, trying to change the subject.

"Amegakure! I thought we already told you that…"

"Why the hell are we going there?! There's nothing but an old crappy city and a few pokémon!"

"I don't know, but Orochimaru said we're going. So, get over it."

"So, we found Shinx, then?"

"No."

"Where the hell is your older brother, Luxio?! I thought you said we weren't going to leave until we found him!"

"Who cares where he is? He was useless, anyway, that wuss!" Luxio snapped. "Plus, he's not my older brother!"

"He was born before you. That makes him older." Jirobo said.

"Well _I'm _evolved, so _I'm _older!"

"Whatever."

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the pokémon center:

"What… happened?" Eevee asked.

"Nothing happened." Yahiko practically whispered. "Just… we found the egg… part of it, anyway."

"But… It's broken."

"That's what I just said."

"What about Nagato?" Butterfree asked. "What happened to him? Who did that to him?"

"Nobody, really…"

"Huh?"

"Well… here's what happened…"

* * *

_Earlier:_

"_What are you doing way out here?"_

_On the night Nagato snuck out of the pokémon center late at night, I found him sitting at the entrance to Orochimaru's base, which had been sealed up by this huge stone door. _

"_It's locked." Nagato told me._

"_You're here to get the egg, aren't you?"_

"_Orochimaru could do horrible things to it."_

"_Like what? That thing was unbreakable, practically. We dropped it… how many times?"_

"_Not just the egg… the pokémon inside it."_

"_It hatched?"_

"_It could…"_

_I came closer to the door, and tried to find a way to open it. After poking around the edges, I realized that it was supposed to be sealed for good._

"_We'll have to break it." I told Nagato._

"…_How…?"_

"_I don't know… Neither of us know strong enough moves… Oh, wait! Metronome!"_

_Nagato stood up to try Metronome. The first time, Metronome turned into Flamethrower, which didn't break down the door._

"_Try it again."_

_The second time, Twister._

"_Again."_

_The third time, it did something a bit more useful. Nagato stood motionless for a minute and I watched him put his hands together… The third time, it was Hyper Beam, and it was loud. That still didn't break the door. It just put a huge crack in it._

"_One more time."_

_The last time broke the door. The last time, he told me to move, and pushed me out of the way. I hit the ground just in time to hear an explosion. Self-destruct. I went in alone, since Nagato fainted. The place was deserted, and all the doors were open… I found that egg right where we left it, next to Konan's bag. It was broken, though. Nothing inside of it._

* * *

"_And that's what happened."_

"_That's horrible!" _Butterfree yelled._ "That means the pokémon inside is gone!"_

"_I know…"_

"_Where did Orochimaru go?" _Eevee asked.

"_I'm not sure."_

"_What?!" _Mankey yelled._ "That means we can't get the pokémon back, and that Naruto and Sasuke are gone!"_

"_It appears so."_

"_I guess that means… Nagato still doesn't know, right?" _Butterfree asked.

"_Yeah. Nobody has told him, yet."_

Konan and Nurse Joy walked in, and Nurse Joy had a Revive in her hand. The packaging was small, square and yellow, a lot like a square of chocolate.

"This should wake him up…." Nurse Joy said, pulling the Revive out of the wrapper. She pushed it into his mouth and forced him to swallow. His eyes flew open a few seconds later, and Nurse Joy pulled her hand off his mouth.

"You're up!" Konan said. "Are you okay?!"

"_Naga…to…"_

* * *

Later that night (though not too late. Perhaps around nine or ten.), Konan had fallen asleep on the couch next to the hospital bed, and Nagato stayed awake talking to Yahiko, who avoided talking about the egg. However, that subject couldn't be avoided forever.

"So… Orochimaru left the base?"

"Yeah."

"Konan's bag was still there, though?"

"Yes."

"What about the egg?"

Yahiko didn't reply, making Nagato a bit nervous.

"Well…?"

"It's…"

"Tell me."

"It's broken. The pokémon inside is gone, and I couldn't find out where it went."

* * *

Outside the hospital room, Mankey, Eevee and Butterfree sat and waited for Yahiko to finish delivering the news. When he stepped out into the hallway, they all ran up to him.

"So, what'd he say?!" Eevee yelled.

"Is he okay?!" Butterfree asked

"Did he freak out?" Mankey pressed.

"He… didn't say anything. He just stared at me."

"That's it?" Mankey asked. "That's boring."

"Just… leave him alone for a bit, okay?"

"Got it."

* * *

"Konan?" Deidara asked, pushing open the hospital room's door. "Hey, I have dinner, un. Want it?"

Deidara saw that she was sleeping, and noticed that Nagato was sitting up in his bed, staring at the wall with a stunned expression.

"Do _you _want this food, then? I had to sneak it in here, un. If you don't, I'll eat it."

Nagato looked at Deidara for a moment, then back at the wall. His pale skin and sunken eyes gave him the appearance of a ghost, which was not exactly the reaction Deidara was looking for.

"Okay, I'll eat it… Want a drink, though?"

Nagato ignored him.

"I've got sake, you know."

Nagato flinched at the sound of that, remembering the last time he had taken sake from Deidara. He shook his head, trying to tell Deidara to keep his disgusting drinks away.

"Beer? Wine? You got sick last time, but you were little. You're bigger now."

When Nagato didn't respond to that, Deidara handed him a beer, anyway. He looked like he could use an alcoholic beverage.

"Try it, at least. You'll like it, trust me."

* * *

A/N: Wow, I just wrote this all in about two hours. Next update coming soon!


	45. Shinx's introduction

A/N: So, here's the next chapter. I was on vacation, but I'm back.

Also… I think Ash is the only person who can turn his hat backwards and still look like a badass.

* * *

"Is he… alive?" Eevee asked.

"Of course he's _alive_, Eevee. He's breathing." Yahiko snapped.

"But he won't get up!"

"Madara?" Butterfree asked, looking over at the dark figure on the corner of the couch. "You still know Wake-Up Slap, don't you?"

"I'm not going to use it to wake him up, if that's what you want." Madara growled.

"Oh… Okay." Butterfree squeaked, not wanting to argue with him.

* * *

Meanwhile, Raichu was up to a just-as-important matter. Deidara was having breakfast, which meant he had left all his pokéballs a few feet away from him, along with his bag. Raichu did attempt to sneak over and grab the pokéball that contained Shinx, but Deidara – being a ninja and all – saw him before he could even get close.

"What do you want, un?" Deidara asked, feeling a bit bitter toward Itachi's pokémon.

Raichu continued up to his bag, took the pokéball, and slowly backed away. Deidara wondered what the hell he wanted with what he thought was an empty pokéball, but decided not to worry about it. It couldn't be that important.

"…That was weird…" Konan commented.

* * *

Raichu went off into Nagato's room to hide from Deidara, completely ignoring the commotion going on just a few feet away. He pushed the button on the pokéball a few times, and watched Shinx take shape in front of him. The little blue pokémon glanced around, and finally figured out where he was.

"A pokémon center?" He asked.

"Yeah. Hungry? You must be after spending a whole day in that ball."

"Um… Yes, do you have food?"

Raichu paused, realizing that he had forgotten that little detail.

"Uh… Well, they have to have food around here somewhere."

Raichu glanced around, and finally seemed to notice the crowd of pokémon around Nagato, who was still not waking up. Well, actually, he just noticed the mostly-empty bottles of beer next to them. There were about five of the bottles, and Raichu thought that Shinx would appreciate a drink, alcoholic or not. Shinx hadn't had any food or drink in the last day.

"Come here, there's some stuff in these bottles."

Eevee and Butterfree eyed the two of them suspiciously from their perch on the arm of the couch, wondering what they wanted with beer bottles.

"Where did that Shinx come from?" Eevee muttered.

"I don't know… Maybe Raichu stole someone's pokémon…"

When they saw Raichu hold one up for Shinx, Butterfree jumped down, pushing the bottle away.

"Are you crazy?!" She screamed.

Shinx wasn't exactly pleased with a random girl jumping in front of him, and immediately began to exude a dangerous amount of electricity from his body. Luckily, Raichu grabbed Shinx's ear, and took the shock. It wasn't like it was going to hurt him.

"You can't give a Shinx beer!" Butterfree continued, ignoring Shinx's terrified expression.

"…Why not…?"

"It's… bad for such a tiny pokémon! Look what it did to Nagato, and he's huge compared to Shinx!"

"That guy drank five bottles of it!" Raichu pointed out.

"Come on, Shinx! Let's find something _good_ for you to drink." Butterfree huffed, marching to the door. Eevee followed, feeling bored with Nagato's unconsciousness, anyway.

"Why do you care what that kid drinks?" Eevee asked.

"We don't want a drunken electric type, do we? That'd be… dangerous. Plus, if it's in the pokémon center, it's probably injured. The last thing it needs is alcohol."

Shinx still hadn't followed Eevee and Butterfree, and stood by Raichu, unsure of what to do.

"Should I go…?"

"Hell yes!" Raichu yelled. "This is your chance to get close to women! Butterfree couldn't hurt a Magikarp! Eevee could be a bit dangerous, but Butterfree will protect you!"

So, Shinx went out and followed the two of them.

"Sorry about that Raichu." Butterfree said. "Ignore him."

"He's nice…" Shinx protested.

"No he's not." Eevee told him. "He's a stupid womanizing jerk."

"Womanizing?"

"Yeah. That guy thinks he's a stud, that idiot."

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Butterfree asked. "Did Raichu drag you away from your trainer? Do you need help finding them?"

"No, Raichu can get me back to my trainer."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah… I mean you guys could too, I guess… They're traveling together."

"Our trainers?"

"Yeah."

Butterfree and Eevee gave each other a confused look, wondering who else Konan was traveling with.

"Who do you belong to, then? Itachi?" Eevee asked.

"No… That blonde guy."

"Deidara…? I don't remember Deidara catching a Shinx…" Butterfree said.

"He didn't catch me; I just got in one of his pokéballs."

"When?"

"Yesterday! Don't you remember?"

Eevee and Butterfree paused to think for a few seconds before coming to the same realization.

"You're that Shinx from yesterday at the field!" They both yelled.

"Yes!"

"We need to introduce you to everybody, then!" Butterfree exclaimed, feeling excited that they had a new pokémon with them.

"…Can we get some food, first…? I'm really hungry." Shinx muttered, not wanting to upset Butterfree by delaying her idea.

"Of course!"

* * *

The three of them had reached the kitchen by now, and Nurse Joy turned around to see them.

"Oh, are you three hungry?" She asked.

Eevee and Butterfree moved aside, and pointed at Shinx.

"Shinx is hungry? I'll get some food for you right away."

It was only a matter of minutes before Shinx was in the lobby, wolfing down some pokémon food.

"_This stuff is delicious!"_

"_I've had better." _Eevee told him. _"The stuff at pokémon centers isn't that great…"_

"_It's a lot better than the mush I used to eat!"_

Butterfree and Eevee both pondered the meaning behind that comment, but couldn't be bothered to ask.

"_Since you're Deidara's pokémon, you'll be hanging around us a lot!" _Butterfree told him. _"Raichu is going back to his trainer Itachi soon, so I guess Eevee and I can take you under our wing… wings? Oh, you get the idea!"_

"_That'd be nice." _Shinx said between mouthfuls.

"…_Do we have to…?"_ Eevee sighed.

* * *

"Well… This is everybody, I think. Everybody, this is Shinx!" Butterfree announced.

Almost everyone gave Shinx a warm greeting, except for Madara, Nagato and Yahiko. Nagato was still asleep on the couch, Yahiko was still a bit on edge from the previous night, and Madara just didn't feel like greeting the new pokémon.

"An electric type, huh?" Charmeleon asked. "That's a good type to add to the team!"

"Alright, now he's got… four of us. Two more for a full team." Mankey said.

Raichu pushed through the crowd and came to see Shinx.

"Hey, you didn't shock any of them!" Raichu laughed. "Come on, I've got stuff to teach you!"

"Wait just one minute!" Butterfree yelled. "You're not teaching him _anything_! You're the last pokémon he should be learning from!"

"B-but I-"

"No! Come on, Shinx!" Butterfree huffed, marching away. However, since Raichu _was_ the one who found Shinx, and helped him become part of the team, Shinx felt as though he should ignore Butterfree's demands. Raichu smiled and walked out with him while Eevee and Butterfree watched in shock.

* * *

"Finally!" Yahiko practically yelled.

Nagato finally seemed to be waking up after his alcohol filled night, pushing himself up and trying to adjust his bleary eyes.

"Yahiko…?" He asked, still not quite awake.

"You've been out all day, get up! We're going on to the next town."

"But… the egg is-"

"That's why we're going."

* * *

"Alright, how does Celadon sound, everyone?" Konan asked, sounding cheery. "Celadon's huge! Big city, plenty of people, and there's probably _someone_ who can help us! Plus we can go buy some supplies; they've got a huge store!"

Everyone seemed to agree with Konan, because Celadon seemed as good a place as any.

"Raichu, you'll have to come with us… apparently Itachi still hasn't stopped by a pokémon center recently."

"_Rai!"_

"Okay… everyone, return." Konan said, putting everyone back in their pokéballs. Deidara followed suit, but didn't put Shinx back. The pokémon looked rather shocked, confused as to why Deidara hadn't put him in. Raichu wasn't about to help, since Konan had put him away, too. Shinx watched the two trainers walk out the door, and made sure to run out after them.

"_Still following us?" _Someone asked from behind. Shinx turned to see Sakura-chan, who was walking with Sasuke-kun and the little Sakura.

"_Um… I'm his pokémon, but he didn't…"_

"_Don't worry about it, just come with us. We're following them, anyway."_ Sakura-chan offered. Sasuke sighed a bit, hoping that this Shinx wouldn't be in the way somehow.

"_Okay…" _Shinx muttered. He didn't really _want_ to hang back with Sakura-chan and friends, but he was too scared to reject the offer. Besides, they were going the same place he was.

* * *

Meanwhile, Itachi was busy with his own problems. He hadn't stopped by any pokémon centers lately because he'd been on a direct route to Konoha. While that route had passed through cities and towns, his pokémon hadn't been battling lately, and therefore did not need to see Nurse Joy.

He had finally reached the huge gates of the village, and was let in without any kind of confrontation, since the citizens of Konoha didn't have any memory of Akatsuki or Itachi's mass murder of the Uchiha clan.

"Hello!" One of the citizens greeted. He passed them and nodded, feeling as though the greeting was uncalled for. That feeling didn't go away as more and more people said 'hello', or asked how he was doing, or even asked for a battle, which he ignored. He walked straight into the Uchiha district of town, and then walked right into his own house. There were people inside, and they were a bit startled as the door swung open.

"H-Hello, Itachi."

"…Mother." Itachi greeted, not having the time to say anything more. His eyes swept the room absorbing every single detail.

Fugaku and Mikoto stood up and stared at their son, wondering what kind of mess he had gotten into. His clothes and hair were perfect as always, but he seemed a bit… off.

"Why are you back here?" Fugaku asked, sounding a bit unwelcoming. "How many badges do you have?"

Those questions were not going to be answered today or anytime soon, and it was unclear whether Itachi had actually heard him.

"I'm leaving now." He told them.

"But you just got here; don't you want something to eat?" His mother asked.

"No. I only came to say hello. I'm going on to the next gym, now."

"Okay…"

Itachi pushed the doors closed, and turned back to leave Konoha. His parents were alive and well, despite what a wild dream had recently lead him to believe. It had seemed quite real, though he felt a bit stupid looking back at his panic. It was only a dream. He had not taken a blade to his entire family, and there was no such thing as a talking Madara.

That would just be crazy, wouldn't it?

* * *

A/N: Okay, so we're headed off to Celadon! Oh by the way! I got the new Pokémon Soul Silver! It's awesome!


	46. Celadon department store, and Amegakure

A/N: Man, I don't know why I enjoy writing this fanfic so much, but I do. It's great. Also, I really wish I could draw… I would make this into a comic/manga thing for DeviantArt.

Also… I forgot how much I loved Gary. He's awesome.

* * *

"Do you think that egg is alright?" Konan asked. "It was broken…"

"I don't know, un."

"Nagato, too… He didn't look so good last night…"

"He's fine, he had a few beers."

"What?! Where did he get a beer?!"

"From me." Deidara said lamely.

"You gave him alcohol?"

"Yeah. So?"

"You are so--!"

Konan was cut off when Deidara heard something running up behind him, and quickly spun around to make sure he wasn't about to get hit with some kind of sharp object. It was Shinx, who was running to catch up with his trainer. Unfortunately for Shinx, Deidara had no idea that this was his pokémon.

"What is that?"

"It's a Shinx." Konan told him. "It's an electric type… They usually aren't down here in Kanto… Deidara, this would be a good pokémon for you to catch! It can take down the flying types that you can't hurt with your Ground-type moves!"

"I don't want it."

Shinx's face fell at the sound of that, and Konan looked appalled.

"What about the Water types that can hurt you so badly? Electric attacks will take them down, too."

"I have other pokémon for that."

"Deidara, this thing will evolve into a massive _lion_! Do you know how strong it will be?! It could probably take out a small army!"

Deidara considered the strength that such a large electric type could bring. It was going to be as big as a lion? Take out a small army? It could probably take out Sasuke, Itachi and Orochimaru, too. Maybe even capture a jinjuriki…

"Alright, then… I'll capture this pokémon and make it evolve into a lion, un! Electricity is only around for a fleeting moment, and can cause so much destruction… A lion with electrical powers is an artistic beauty worthy of my team, though my art is better... Since I'm a Ground type… I'll use myself. When this thing evolves, we'll see who has the better electric attacks! A lion, or that bastard, Sasuke!"

Raichu practically exploded out of his pokéball at the sound of that, coming to help Shinx _not_ get destroyed by Deidara's 'art'.

"_SHINX!" _Raichu yelled.

"_He's… he's gonna battle me?" _Shinx squeaked.

"_Just… you know how to dodge, right?!"_

"_Y-yeah!"_

"_Just dodge and play dead! Dodge and play dead, okay?"_

"_Y-yes, sir!"_

Shinx tried to focus as Deidara changed into his pokémon form. Just dodge, huh? Shinx could do that. Maybe.

"Let's see how good of a fight you put up, un." Deidara said with a grin on his face. A small bird flew right out of Deidara's palm, which startled Shinx. Most humans didn't have mouths on their hands. However, he regained his focus at the last second, and jumped out of the way just before it hit. However, from Deidara's angle, it looked as if the bomb had made contact. Shinx made a huge show of moaning and falling to the ground in defeat.

"That was… a little sad." Konan muttered.

"If it went down that easily, I don't think I should take it."

"Maybe it was injured before, you know!" Konan yelled. "Any pokémon can be strong if you train it!"

Deidara ignored her, and reached for an empty pokéball. Raichu ran over, and was sure to hand Deidara the pokéball Shinx had originally gotten into. Deidara threw the pokéball, and was a bit surprised when Shinx didn't struggle to get out. He ignored that, too, and simply decided it didn't matter. He had a new pokémon that would eventually evolve into a lion. So, that meant he would have a huge fire-breathing dragon, and a lion that could shoot lightning out of its body. That sounded good.

"Alright, let's get to Celadon quickly and have that Shinx checked out by Nurse Joy." Konan said.

* * *

Konan and Deidara left Shinx with Nurse Joy so that they could go and check out Celadon's massive department store. Deidara wasn't too interested in shopping, but maybe they had something useful…

"This place is huge…" Konan muttered, looking up at the tall building.

The two of them went inside, and looked at the directory.

"Looks like the first floor is just… a lobby." Konan said. "Second floor is TMs, pokéballs, stationary for letters, medicine and some other stuff… Third is more TMs… Fourth floor has gifts and… evolutionary stones! Let's check that out!"

"Okay, un…"

"The fifth floor has stuff that'll make your pokémon stronger… and after that, there's the rooftop plaza… I'm going up to the fourth floor."

"Okay, I'll go, too."

So, the two of them took the elevator to the fourth floor, and Konan abandoned Deidara to look at the aisle with evolution stones.

"Alright… Growlithe can evolve with a Fire stone… Eevee can evolve with… a lot of stones… Nagato can evolve with the Dawn stone… I'll buy the Fire stone, but what should I make Eevee evolve into? And that dawn stone with Nagato… Come on out, you two."

Nagato and Eevee came out of their pokéballs, and looked at Konan to hear what she wanted.

"Eevee… Do you want to evolve into a Vaporeon, Jolteon, or a Flareon?"

"_I don't want to evolve…_" Eevee huffed, turning her head away.

"_Me neither…"_ Nagato muttered.

Konan noticed Eevee's defiant body language, and decided not to make her evolve.

"Nagato, what about you? I know it was bad when my Nagato-san back in Amegakure evolved, but I don't know if that was normal…" She said, pulling out her Pokédex. She aimed it at the Dawn Stone and Nagato, and Dexter began to speak.

"_Evolution for Nagato-san via Dawn Stone is very painful and life-threatening. Some Nagato-san do not survive the process and will die quickly of blood loss. A trainer should consider this risk carefully before making their pokémon evolve. If they do want to use the stone, it is recommended that the pokémon evolves in a pokémon center that can provide immediate medical attention when evolution is complete."_

Konan and Nagato shared an awkward glance before Konan quickly shoved the Dawn Stone back on the shelf.

"Okay, I won't be using that. I guess I'll just buy this Fire stone, then."

* * *

The two trainers returned to the pokémon center after their little shopping trip. Deidara managed to buy some supplies (with Konan's money) and figured out exactly what potions, revives, and elixirs were for.

Raichu and Shinx had resumed their 'lessons' which involved Raichu teaching his fellow electric type about women… Or at least his idea of women. To be honest, Raichu's idea of women wasn't exactly accurate.

"You got all that?" Raichu asked.

"I think so…"

"Alright, Shinx… Eevee and Butterfree are in the lobby… why don't you go try what you've learned?"

"Okay!"

Shinx trotted over to the two female pokémon, who wondered why he was here.

"Hey, Shinx." Butterfree said. "What's up?"

"Nothing much." He said with a sly smile.

"…Okay."

"Just to let you know, Shinx." Eevee began. "I know Butterfree pretty much offered to be your mom once Raichu is gone, but I'm not participating in that little plan."

"That's okay, babe."

"…What'd you call me?"

Shinx leaned closer and whispered some things in Eevee's ear. Things that I cannot type due to the fact that this is a T-rated fanficiton. Things that most girls never want to hear.

"WHAT?!" Eevee screamed, jumping away from Shinx. "Are you crazy?!"

"What's wrong?"

"What do you think is wrong?!"

"But Raichu said--"

"Raichu, huh?! This means WAR! Shinx, Butterfree and I are your new role models, got it?!"

"Y-yes ma'am!"

Eevee marched toward the room Raichu was sitting in, swears flying out of her mouth.

"…What did you say to her…?" Butterfree asked.

"Stuff…"

Eevee marched straight up to Raichu, who looked rather relaxed.

"You're a… a… I don't even know!"

"…Never heard that one before." Raichu said, confused as to why Eevee was so angry.

"You are the most horrible role-model and I--"

"_Raichu! Come here!"_

Raichu jumped up, and ran out of the room, happy that Konan had saved him from an awkward confrontation. Eevee watched as Raichu was put back in his pokéball, and on a machine. Konan was sending him back to Itachi, who had finally stopped at a pokémon center.

"I'll kill you when you come back!"

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office:

"Are you coming back to the Hidden Leaf anytime soon?" Tsunade asked.

"Yeah, soon… I just have a few things to wrap up. Naruto is already off getting more badges, I think." Jiraiya told her. He was still in Amegakure, and Pein stood just behind him with a serious look on his face. Tsunade couldn't tell if Pein was guarding Jiraiya, or making sure he didn't cause trouble.

"Well, that's good. Kakashi finally came back with his Ninja-pokémon-dog team."

"Really? What pokémon does he have, there?"

"He's got a Houndoom, Granbull, Mightyena, Arcanine, Absol and Lucario. He's also got the original ninja dogs."

"Sounds like-"

"_PEI-PEIN!"_

Jiraiya was a bit startled by Pein's sudden outburst, and looked to see what he wanted. The Pokémon was glaring toward the window, and a large black rod was slowly sliding out of his sleeve.

"What is it?" Jiraiya asked. "Is someone out there?"

Jiraiya's question was answered when Nagato-sama came flying through the window, landing a few inches away. It struggled to stand back up, unable to get off its side.

"Nagato-sama! Are you okay?!"

Pein jumped over Nagato to defend him from whatever had thrown him through the window. Nagato-sama was a heavy pokémon, with its steel lower body. Whatever had thrown him must've been very strong.

"Jiraiya, what's going on?" Tsunade asked.

"I don't know… We'll be back in a minute, I'm going to look."

Jiraiya put Nagato-sama in his pokéball, afraid to let the frail pokémon take any more damage.

Tsunade watched Pein and Jiraiya run outside, and stood by the screen to wait for their return. She heard Jiraiya yell, though she couldn't make out the words. Crashing and explosions came a few seconds later, and Tsunade began to wonder just how much Jiraiya had to overdo it while taking out his opponent. Were explosions really necessary? She watched for a few more minutes before hearing a blood-curling squeal, as if someone had stabbed a pokémon. Jiraiya flew back into view a few seconds later, agony scribbled all over his face, and blood staining his hair.

"Jiraiya, what's going on out there?" Tsunade asked, shocked by his appearance.

"I can't… Just… Take these pokéballs, and send some help over here!"

Jiraiya transferred the two pokéballs he was holding, and Tsunade watched in horror as two large shadowy pokémon shoved Jiraiya away from the screen. One of the pokémon smiled at the camera before the connection was lost, and all Tsunade could see was a blank white screen. She smacked the machine a few times in an attempt to fix it, but that was unsuccessful. She turned to see the two pokéballs that transferred, and rushed to open them. That wasn't necessary, as the pokéballs opened without her help. Her desk flipped over as the large steel body of Nagato-sama overtook a large portion of her office. Pein stood beside him, his eyes wide with some sort of emotion, though Tsunade couldn't tell what he was thinking.

* * *

A/N: Dun-Dun-Dun! I know Absol isn't really a _dog_ pokémon, but it looked like one to me, sort of.


	47. Pein the Kidnapper!

A/N: So, apparently all Butterfree have waterproof wings, according to some Pokédex entries. I didn't know that… Anyway, they do.

* * *

"That kid looks kinda pathetic just sitting there, Tayuya…" Luxio said.

The strange pokémon that had hatched from Tayuya and Nagato's egg was small, despite the fact that the egg had grown to quite a formidable size. It wore Tayuya's uniform, which included the hat. The hair was a deeper red than Tayuya's, and the eyes were gray with rings spiraling all the way to the pupil. Tayuya wasn't exactly enjoying the resemblances it had had to either her or Nagato, because it just served as a reminder of that _stupid_ thing she did.

"What do you want me to do about it?" She spat.

"Nothing, really… I was just saying that you're a really horrible mother. I'm glad I know that, now."

"Why do you care?"

"No reason, just for future reference. What's Orochimaru planning for her?"

"It." Tayuya corrected.

"…Yeah, _it._ What's Orochimaru got planned?"

"I don't know."

"He was kinda pissed it wasn't a Nagato."

"I know."

"Baby pokémon always take after the mother, so I'm not really surprised. It's got some of a Nagato's features, though… like the eyes and the hair color. I wonder if it's got some of the attacks and things."

"Why don't you go ask it if you're so curious?"

"I don't wanna _talk_ to it! It might start following me around and calling me 'mama' or something."

* * *

"Where on earth are we going to find this thing?! Do you know?!" Konan asked, throwing her hands up. "Nobody knows where Orochimaru went, so… We're screwed!"

"If we don't know where he is, why are we going to Amegakure?!" Deidara yelled.

Like Deidara said, he and Konan were on their way to Amegakure. The two of them had searched around Celadon city for quite a while, and found absolutely nothing. They had become a bit frustrated, and were now yelling at each other while walking down to Rain Country, both of them feeding off the other's anger. Eevee, Nagato, Yahiko and Butterfree were just behind them, wondering how much louder they were going to get.

"I was hoping Jiraiya could help us, because that's the only idea I've got!"

The sky became dim after a few more seconds of silence, and a few drops of rain fell down onto the trainer's heads.

"Great, now it's raining!" Deidara groaned.

"It's not raining hard or anything." Konan pointed out, trying to calm herself. "It's just a drizzle."

"It still sucks."

Eevee ran closer to Yahiko's legs to use his cloak as an umbrella. She had tried this once before, but didn't seem to remember that it didn't work so well. Butterfree continued to fly alongside them, as her wings were waterproof, and rain didn't bother her very much.

"_This rain came on really fast…" _Yahiko mumbled, sinking back into his cloak.

"_Yeah, really!" _Eevee chimed in. _"What's up with that?"_

"_Not a problem!" _Butterfree said. "_Just a bit of rain."_

"_Says the waterproof one…" _Yahiko pointed out.

* * *

"_Raichu, Nidorino… Slow down. You're going to get lost if you get too far ahead."_ Itachi said.

"Where are we going, anyway?" Nidorino asked.

"Beats me. Probably the next gym." Raichu said, darting up a nearby tree. He looked over one of the branches to see if there were any towns nearby, and was easily distracted by some nearby pokémon.

"See anything?" Nidorino asked.

"Yes, I do. I see some pretty ladies." Raichu told him. "Come up here and look!"

Nidorino stared at Raichu, unable to actually climb the tree.

"What do they look like?" Nidorino asked.

"It's an Espeon and a Lopunny!!"

"What are they doing?"

"Just lying in the grass, really."

Actually, Espeon and Lopunny were not just lying in the grass. The two pokémon were working on a very important mission: Keep an eye out for danger… Okay, so maybe they were just lying in the grass. They didn't seem to notice Raichu.

"Are you gonna go talk to them, Raichu?" Nidorino asked.

"Yeah! Be right back, don't leave without me!"

Nidorino nodded, and Raichu ran down to the two pokémon.

"Hey, there!"

Lopunny and Espeon looked up at Raichu, startled by his sudden appearance.

"You ladies… busy?"

Neither of them said anything, and Raichu just got closer, running his paws through their fur.

"You guys are so soft." Raichu purred.

"Are you… right in the head?" Espeon asked. Raichu flinched upon hearing its voice.

"Y-you're not… You're a dude!"

Espeon's voice was a bit high for a grown male pokémon, but it was male none the less.

"Yeah… What's your point?"

"I thought you were a girl!" Raichu said.

"Well… You're not the first."

"Seriously." Lopunny sighed.

"You're a guy, too?!" Raichu yelled.

"…Yeah. Got a problem with that?!" Lopunny asked.

"Jeez… Do you guys have a trainer or what?"

"Yeah, we do." Espeon told him. "He's kinda busy right now, though."

"How many more of you are there?"

"Well, there's… Us two… Zabuza, Houndoom, Clefairy, and Hoppip." Lopunny told him.

"Why do you care?" Espeon asked.

"_Lopunny, Espeon!" _

"Oh. That's our trainer. Want to come meet the rest of the team?" Lopunny asked.

'_Well… Clefairy and Hoppip… They're probably pretty.' _Raichu thought.

"Yeah, sure, I'll come!

* * *

Unfortunately for Raichu, it appeared the pokémon he was excited about were male. So, Clefairy and Hoppip were not as 'pretty' as he was hoping.

"_Well, at least nobody can mistake __**you**__ for a girl."_ Raichu sighed, looking up at Houndoom.

"_Excuse me?!" _Houndoom yelled.

"…_You're… A girl. Of course you are."_ Raichu sighed.

Houndoom used Flamethrower on Raichu for his stupidity, but her trainer certainly wasn't happy about that.

"Don't hurt that pokémon!" The trainer yelled.

"_Wow, your trainer is pretty."_ Raichu said, feeling a bit less enthusiastic because of the burns. _"What's her name?"_

"_It's a guy, you idiot!" _Espeon yelled.

"_You've gotta be kidding…"_

"Hello, there." The trainer said, kneeling near Raichu. "I'm Haku. I guess you've already met most of my pokémon… except Zabuza… Where is he?"

To answer Haku's question, Zabuza jumped out of a nearby tree, wondering what his trainer wanted.

"Ah, there you are. This is Zabuza."

"_Uh… Nice to meet you!" _Raichu said, feeling a bit uneasy with Zabuza's large stature.

"_What are you doing here, anyway?" _Espeon asked.

"_Eh… Nothing, really. Just came down to meet you."_

"_Oh."_

"RAICHU!"

Raichu slowly turned to see Itachi, who was pretty angry about his pokémon running off.

"Do I have to keep you in a pokéball _every_ time we walk somewhere?" He asked.

Raichu slowly walked back over to Itachi, but Haku wasn't about to let him leave without greeting him.

"That's your Raichu?" Haku asked.

"Yes. I'm sorry he was bothering you."

"He wasn't bothering us at all!"

"_I beg to differ…" _Espeon muttered.

"You have a lot of pokémon from Johto and… one from Sinnoh." Itachi observed.

"Yes, I'm from Johto, actually."

"Ah."

"Where are you headed?" Haku asked, hoping to find a travel companion.

"Off to Amegakure… I've been told that there was… an accident there."

"An accident?"

"A pokémon researcher was attacked by an unidentified enemy."

"You've been sent to save him?"

"No."

"…Okay… May I come with you? Amegakure isn't far from where I'm headed."

"If you must." Itachi said, turning back toward his path.

* * *

"Okay, it was a drizzle at first, but this is ridiculous!" Deidara huffed. "It's pouring!"

"I know!" Konan said. "We're nowhere near Ame, either!"

"_There's someone here with us…" _Nagato muttered, looking down at the ground.

"_More than one…" _Yahiko corrected.

"_How many?" _Eevee asked.

"_Seven? Six? I don't know, but it's a lot." _

"_Are they dangerous?"_

"_Could be… They're following us."_

The four pokémon moved closer to the trainers, preparing for a fight. Konan and Deidara seemed to ignore their tense poses and nervous twitching. However, that was stupid, because in no more than five seconds, they were surrounded.

"_W-what?! Are we under attack?!" _Butterfree yelled.

"…_They're not attacking… Just… Standing there." _Nagato said.

One more pokémon dropped from the canopy, landing in front of Konan and Deidara.

"Konan. Deidara. I've been searching for you." It said.

"Leader-sama!" Deidara yelled.

"…A talking… Pein?" Konan asked.

Yes, the pokémon that stood in front of the trainers was a Pein. It could speak, which was certainly a bit shocking to Konan. Deidara, on the other hand, was perfectly fine with this.

"Leader-sama! How did you find us, un?" Deidara asked.

"It was difficult. Now that I've found you, we need to go."

"Go where?" Konan asked.

"Back up north, to Sinnoh. Snowpoint city, into the cave of Regigigas."

"Why?"

"Because that is... How we will complete our plan."

"Plan?"

"Yes."

"What plan? I don't know what you're talking about!" Konan yelled, backing away.

"The Jinjuriki plan, right, un?" Deidara asked.

"Yes. That plan." Pein told him.

Konan refused to listen to all this nonsense. Pein decided that he needed to speak to her alone.

"Deidara, leave. I need to speak to Konan."

So, Deidara obeyed the strange talking pokémon, and walked off into the woods. Konan backed away a bit more, until she was standing between Nagato and Yahiko.

"You don't remember me, do you?" Pein asked.

"No. Where did you learn to talk?"

Another pokémon came out of the bushes, and it was big. It was a Nagato-sama, and the main body of the other six Pein that stood in a circle around Konan and her pokémon.

"If you don't remember, I still have to take you. Perhaps Madara can remind you who we are, and why we are here. I am the only _true_ Pein. The only _true_ God. The rest of these… copies… in this world. They're all fakes." The Nagato-sama said.

"What are you talking about? There are so many more Pein and Nagato-sama!"

"They're all _fake_." Pein told her. "Those two beside you? They're fake. They can't be real."

Arguing with Konan wasn't really helping Pein's situation. He decided that taking her would be his best bet.

"If you refuse to come on your own, I will take you."

He wasn't kidding. Within a few seconds, Pein had a tight grip on her, and was jumping away into the trees. Nagato and Yahiko followed the kidnapper, firing Gust and Water Gun as they went. One of pein's bodies –animal realm– threw his palm down on one of the nearby branches, and summoned a pokémon. It was a Froslass, which was an ice-type pokémon from Sinnoh. Considering Pein mentioned that they were going up to Snowpoint city, this Froslass was probably from around there.

"Ice beam." Animal realm commanded.

So, Yahiko's water gun was frozen, and he fell to the ground with a large uncomfortable piece of ice stuck in his mouth. Eevee and Butterfree went off to get Deidara.

* * *

"What the heck do you want, un?" Deidara asked, shaking Eevee off his leg. "I can't go back there, Leader-Sama told me to go away."

Eventually, Eevee's pushing and Butterfree's pulling managed to bring Deidara to Yahiko and Nagato, who were on the ground trying to get Yahiko's tongue free from the tube of ice.

"Oh. Charmeleon, come out and fix this." Deidara muttered, sending the fire-type pokémon out. A quick Flamethrower and Yahiko was free.

"Hey... Where's Konan?"

* * *

"We should be safe here, for a minute." Pein said, setting Konan down on the branch. When the kidnapping pokémon turned to check behind them, Konan switched into her Pokémon form, and drew a kunai from her bag. She swung it at Pein's neck, and he dropped off the side of the branch to dodge it. He came back up behind her, and took the dangerous tool.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Let me go, or I'll fight you!" She yelled.

"Is that right? You'll fight me?"

"Yes! Don't think I won't!"

Konan split up into a huge mass of paper, and scattered around Pein. Froslass was about to use Ice Beam to ground her, but Pein pushed it away.

"Where are you going, Konan?"

She put herself back together to give him an answer.

"Ame."

"Alright, fine. I will go with you to Ame." Pein said.

"I didn't say you could come with us!" She yelled.

"You can try to stop me, but you won't be able to."

"You're just going to kidnap me again!"

"If you still have your ability to turn into paper, I can't take you to Snowpoint without harming you."

Konan moved away, fearing that he was about to demonstrate.

"However, if you are harmed, you will be of no use to Akatsuki or me. Therefore, I will go with you to Ame, and come up with a different plan."

"Fine! But, if you _touch _me, I'll kill you."

"You couldn't if you tried, Konan."

"Don't underestimate me."

"I'm not."

* * *

A/N: Alright, here's this… Next chapter coming soon.


	48. Espeon Vs Raichu

A/N: Well, that last chapter was fun to write. I loved Haku when he was still alive; I think I'm going to keep him in here for a little bit. Also… After this chapter, I think you'll know how much of a Soul Silver addict I am.

* * *

"So, what exactly do you guys look for in a guy?" Shinx asked.

"Why do you care?" Eevee huffed.

"I want to know why Raichu's descriptions are so different from yours."

"So, you want… an example of our perfect guy?" Butterfree asked.

"Yeah, sure."

"WELL!" Eevee yelled. "_I _can show you _my_ perfect guy!"

"Yeah, yeah, we know." Butterfree muttered.

"Who is it?" Shinx asked, apparently missing the goo-goo eyed stares Eevee had been giving Deidara the entire time.

"It's… _Him…_" Eevee sighed, nodding her head at Deidara.

"How come?"

"He's all smart and strong and… so handsome!"

"Handsome?"

"Yeah! Just look at his hair and his body! Hot damn, he's sexy!"

"What about a pokémon? Pokémon bodies look so much different!" Shinx said.

"Well, if I _had_ to tell you what I'd look for in a _pokémon_… Well… I guess… Give me some time to think, Shinx! Gosh, you can't just _ask _a girl something like that!"

"Okay, then… Butterfree, what about you?"

"Well…" Butterfree began, her cheeks turning the slightest shade of red. "I guess my perfect guy would be…"

"THAT GUY!" Eevee screamed, interrupting Butterfree.

Butterfree and Shinx looked over to see who Eevee was screaming about.

"…Raichu?" Butterfree asked, seeing that Itachi and his Raichu were coming up to them.

"No, you idiot! The guy _next _to him!"

"…Itachi? He's not a pokémon, that doesn't count."

"NO! That pokémon! That Espeon! LOOK AT HIM!"

Butterfree and Shinx finally saw what Butterfree was talking about. Haku's Espeon was walking beside Raichu, and the two of them seemed to be having a bit of an argument.

"Wow… He _is _good looking." Butterfree muttered.

"That's a guy?" Shinx asked.

"Of course it is, stupid!" Eevee yelled. "He looks like a model!"

Itachi, Konan, and Deidara met up while Espeon came up to meet the two pokémon who were currently drooling over him, and the Shinx who looked quite confused.

"Hey, guys." Raichu said. "This is Espeon, and he's a guy. Just in case you were wondering."

"Of course he's a guy, what'd you think he was?" Butterfree asked.

"Raichu told me all about you guys." Espeon said, looking at the three of them.

"I'd like to hear about _you_…" Eevee sighed.

"Me? Oh, I just belong to that guy over there." Espeon told her, nodding back at Haku.

"That's nice… What are you doing here, Raichu?" Eevee spat.

"I dunno, Itachi said we were going to Amegakure."

"So are we!" Shinx said.

"You're very… handsome." Butterfree told Espeon.

"Huh? Oh… Um… Thanks." Espeon muttered awkwardly.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Raichu yelled. "You don't even know this guy, and you're already drooling over him?"

"Shut up, Raichu." Eevee growled. "Just because he's better looking than you doesn't mean you get to yell at us."

"Better looking? Hah! He looks like a girl; at least I'm stronger and look more like a man!"

"Oh, really?" Espeon asked. "I know you'd like to think that, but it's just your imagination."

"Excuse me, pretty boy? I could kick your ass!"

"You're acting pretty tough!" Espeon told him, beginning to get annoyed. "Let's settle this with a battle, macho man!"

* * *

"…So, you expect me to believe that this pokémon here is our leader, and we're a bunch of criminals?" Itachi asked.

"Yes. Yes I do." Deidara told him.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Honestly." Konan said.

"So, you have forgotten, too." Pein muttered.

Haku looked rather confused at this point, and the fact that all three trainers and this talking pokémon were ignoring him did not help.

"_Rai-chu! Rai-rai!"_

"_Espe…"_

Everyone looked over to see what all the yelling was about. Espeon and Raichu were a few feet apart, with the other three pokémon sitting up in a tree to watch the battle that was about to take place.

"Are you two going to battle?" Haku asked.

The two pokémon looked up at Haku and nodded before turning back to face each other.

"Well, Espeon… If you're going to battle, here's your twisted spoon."

Haku pulled a small bent spoon out of his bag, and threw it at Espeon, who caught it in his mouth.

"What's that?" Konan asked.

"It's a twisted spoon. It's a special item that'll make Espeon's psychic attacks stronger." Haku told her.

"Oh. Where did you find that?"

"Well, I live up in Johto, so on my way here to Kanto, I ran into this boy named Tuscany… He said he was handing out items to all passing trainers, and gave my Espeon that twisted spoon."

"There are other items like it." Itachi said. "Items that raise the power of other types."

* * *

"A twisted spoon, huh?" Raichu asked, listening to the trainer's conversation. "You'll need that if you even want to leave a scratch! Don't worry; I'll go easy on you."

Espeon didn't have a comeback for that, and just stayed silent.

"Why don't you say something, pretty boy?"

Espeon tried to say something, but having the spoon in his mouth made things a bit difficult.

"Hah! Tongue tied, are we? Too bad you don't have hands that could hold that spoon! I sure do!" Raichu laughed, waving his hands around in the air to rub it in Espeon's face.

"_Just start the battle already!" _Eevee yelled.

"Alright, alright." Raichu said.

Espeon stood still, waiting for Raichu to make the first move. He took that opportunity to use a thunderbolt. Espeon sidestepped the thunderbolt at the last second, smiling at Raichu's annoyed expression.

"_Your Raichu is never going to hit Espeon like that…" _Haku said. _"Espeon can detect even the slightest movement by feeling air currents… That way, he'll know how to avoid them."_

Raichu smiled after hearing that, deciding to try another tactic.

"If brute force won't work, I'll have to paralyze you!" Raichu laughed unleashing a thunder wave. Espeon couldn't avoid this move, unfortunately. He was paralyzed almost instantly, but something strange happened… Raichu began to feel stiff, as if he had been affected by the move, too.

"That shouldn't paralyze me, too!" Raichu whined.

"It's called Synchronize…" Espeon told him, putting down his spoon. "It's my ability… If you poison, burn, paralyze, or freeze me, it'll happen to you, too."

"Being paralyzed will lower your speed… Sometimes, you won't even be able to move." Butterfree muttered.

"Yeah, but since they're both paralyzed, I don't think it's going to make much of a difference." Shinx said.

"That's what you think!" Raichu yelled up to the tree. "I'll just have to speed myself up, again! Agility!"

Raichu slowly began to run in circles around Espeon, who looked pretty unimpressed. He began to pick up speed, eventually going so fast that it almost appeared as if he was invisible.

"If you're going to speed up, I'll just have to use… Trick Room." Espeon snickered, picking his spoon back up.

"What's that?" Eevee whispered to Butterfree.

"It's a weird move that kind of creates a room where slower pokémon can move faster than other pokémon, and then get the first strike."

"Wow!"

Butterfree was correct. Strange blue and purple glass-like squares began to float around the two battling pokémon, until a little oval was surrounded by the squares. Raichu seemed to become much slower now, moving as if Agility had no effect. Espeon decided to finish this battle with a Psybeam. The gem on his forehead began to glow, and suddenly a large rainbow-colored beam flew at Raichu, knocking him down. Raichu was hit with Swift a few seconds later, before finally being thrown into a tree by Psychic. Raichu collapsed, and the strange colored glass-like squares disappeared.

"Alright, I think that's enough." Espeon sighed, putting down his spoon.

"N-no!" Raichu yelled, struggling to stand up. "I'm not finished yet!"

"Oh, please." Eevee said, jumping out of the tree. "You lost, get over it!"

"Nice job, Espeon! I didn't think anyone could beat Raichu!" Butterfree told him.

"It was nothing, really." Espeon said before bringing his spoon back to Haku.

"_Raichu, that was a good try… return." _Itachi muttered, putting his defeated pokémon back in his pokéball.

"Not to brag, but I'd be surprised if I lost." Espeon said. "I was Haku's first pokémon, and we've beaten the entire Johto league."

"The whole thing? All eight badges and the elite four!" Butterfree yelled.

"Yeah."

"You're amazing!" Eevee squealed.

"So, are you here to do the Kanto league?" Shinx asked.

"No. We were going to head up to Sinnoh, actually."

"What for?"

"Pokémon contests. It's a contest of style and looks. Sounds fun, right?"

"Well, you've got style, I'll tell you that!" Eevee said.

"And looks." Butterfree added.

"Sounds superficial…" Shinx said.

"Who cares?" Eevee asked. "There's gotta be tons of hot guys there!"

"I guess so." Espeon said. "Lots of girls, too."

"So, how come you're going to Amegakure?" Shinx asked.

"Because right near Amegakure is a little town with a dock and stuff. We need a boat to get to Sinnoh."

* * *

"Leader-sama, how many of the Jinjuriki do we have so far?" Deidara asked.

"…None."

"W-what? None? What do you mean? I thought we had at least two or three!"

"This world is strange. The jinjuriki have been revived, and the tailed beasts are back outside of our grasp."

"You've gotta be kidding…"

"No, actually."

"How many of our group have we found?"

"Including you three, there are five… Madara and I are the other two."

"Wow… Okay…"

"_What the heck are they talking about?" _Eevee asked.

"_No idea."_ Butterfree said.

"I hate to interrupt your little bullshit party, but we're almost there." Konan said. "Amegakure should be right up ahead."

* * *

A/N: Kind of a short chapter, sorry. But, here it is. New chapter coming soon!


	49. Amegakure and Pein

A/N: Sorry this took a while, you guys! School is almost over, which means we're getting a lot of work now. Three days left! YAY!

Also, the new legendaries for Gen 5 are out… They look alright, I guess.

Also, the site isn't letting me use my usual scene breaks, and so it just looks like the whole story is squished together into one huge confusing scene. I'm going to try some new line breaks to make it less... fail.

* * *

"Deidara, with this rain, neither of us can use our Pokéformers." Itachi said, looking up at the gray sky.

"It's just a little rain, un. Who the hell cares?"

"Do you remember the last time you hit water in pokémon form?"

Deidara thought about that. Water felt a lot more like fire when he was in pokémon form.

"Alright, fine. We have other pokémon to deal with that."

Amegakure was certainly living up to its name, even in this strange world. Konan seemed happy to be there, but Itachi felt a bit more wary after hearing about Jiraiya. Eevee was absolutely terrified.

"_What if they come after us?" _She asked.

"_Don't worry, we'll be fine!" _Raichu laughed. _"What the heck would they want with us?"_

"_What the heck did they want with Jiraiya?" _Espeon pointed out.

"_The guy's a pokémon researcher; I'm not surprised somebody was after him."_

Eevee ignored Raichu and Espeon, and crawled under Yahiko's cloak again. It felt a bit safer there for some reason.

"_Don't worry, you're gonna be fine!" _Yahiko told her.

"…_What if they hurt Deidara?" _Eevee screeched.

"_You're __so__ right." _Raichu said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. _"You should go protect him right now, Eevee."_

Eevee thought Raichu was being completely serious, and ran up to Deidara. He seemed a bit startled as she darted up his leg, and climbed up on his shoulder, looking out for anything that could possibly hurt him.

"…_She knows you were kidding, right?" _Shinx asked.

"_Apparently not."_

"_Hey, are you two… okay with being out in the rain? You're not suddenly going to electrocute everybody with all this water around?" _Espeon asked.

"_Don't worry about it, you're not gonna get shocked. Not by accident, anyway." _Raichu told him.

"_Okay, good… Wait, what?"_

"_Don't worry your pretty little head."_

"Hey, where exactly are we going to look for Jiraiya, anyway?" Deidara asked.

"The place to start would be the lab, since that's where he got attacked." Itachi said.

"And where is this lab, un?"

"It's in the tallest tower in Ame." Konan told him. "Jiraiya was supposedly on the top floor when he got hit. The top floor is where Nagato-sama and Pein live, last time I checked."

"It's going to take a while to get all the way up those stai—"

Before Deidara could finish, and ear-splitting clap of thunder shook the entire city, and lightning took over the sky.

"I didn't think the storms here got that bad…" Konan muttered, continuing into the city.

XxX

"Sasuke! Stop it! Just… STOP!" Sakura-chan screamed, holding the angry Sasuke-kun back.

"Sakura, he's _right there_!" He yelled back. "He's so close, I've gotta go after him _now_!"

"If you go now, it's going to be two of us against the… I don't even know how many of them there are! Wait until they're separated!"

"There are three of us." The little Sakura corrected.

"As if you're going to do any good." Sasuke-kun scoffed.

"If you keep struggling, I'll hurt you, Sasuke! I will take you down for your own good!" Sakura-chan told him.

"I'd like to see you try!"

Sakura-chan tried a Mega Punch attack, but Sasuke-kun easily ducked under it. She continued throwing punches, and Sasuke-kun never retaliated. He simply avoided the attacks with ease, and waited for her to run out of energy.

She pulled her fist back to charge up a Focus Punch, and before she could attack, a great bolt of grey and black lightning fell from the sky, and crashed into the ground just behind her. Sasuke-kun froze, staring at the blackened patch of ground, ignoring Sakura-chan's attack. Focus Punch hit him square in the face, and sent him flying a few feet away, but he barely seemed fazed. He sat back up, and continued to stare at the ground.

"Oh my god! I'm sorry! I didn't actually mean to hit you!" Sakura-chan screamed, running up to heal Sasuke-kun. She apologized about a thousand times, but Sasuke-kun never said a word.

"Are you okay!" She asked.

He didn't answer her question. He just pointed at the ground where the lightning struck, and told her something.

"That thing almost hit you."

"I know, it doesn't matter, I'm sorry I punched you!"

"Did you see the color of it?"

"No… Why?"

"It was… black. Or gray. Both, maybe."

"It was! That was freaky!" The little Sakura confirmed.

* * *

"I don't like this rain." Pein announced, confusing everyone who was with him.

"Um… Leader-sama, not to be rude or anything, but don't you usually cause the rain, un?" Deidara asked.

"This isn't my rain. I don't like it."

"It always rains here, you know." Konan told him. "That's just how it is."

"This storm isn't natural." Pein said. "Someone's making it, and it's not me."

"It's probably one of the other Pein, then. There are a lot of them here, but I'm not sure why they're making the storm so bad."

"Maybe they're angry?" Haku suggested.

"About what?"

"Oh, I don't know, un. Maybe it's the fact that some guy came in and attacked." Deidara sighed.

_BANG!_

Another wicked and strangely-colored lightning bolt dropped from the sky, barely missing the group of trainers and pokémon. Yahiko looked a bit more shocked than the rest of the group, noticing that the color was quite similar to the lightning that had injured most of his family group back near Viridian City. However, he really didn't have time to think about this, because a cursed Sasuke-kun flew down from the sky and drove Itachi into the ground.

"SASUKE! Come back here, you've ruined our surprise attack!"

While Haku and Konan were busy trying to pull the Sasuke-kun off, Deidara looked up to see Orochimaru on one of the buildings, annoyed with Sasuke-kun for attacking without permission.

"What are _you_ doing here, un?" Deidara asked.

"Research, of course."

Deidara tried to go into Pokémon form to attack Orochimaru, but the burning pain that came with being a ground type in a rainy city was enough to convince him to stop. He transformed back into a human after only a few seconds.

Pein tried to push Sasuke-kun off by using his own ability, but to his surprise, the attack seemed to have no effect.

"That's a psychic attack, that won't work on a cursed Sasuke's type." Deidara told him.

"…Type?" Pein asked. "What type?"

"You don't know, un? That thing is apparently part dark type, and the attack you're trying to use is Psychic type, which won't work."

"I don't understand."

"Never mind, Leader-sama, what I'm saying is that you have to use brute force."

"Oh."

Pein did understand that explanation, and quickly pulled a rod out of his sleeve. But, just as he went to attack, another one of Orochimaru's cursed pokémon dropped down from the building, stopping Pein's hand.

"What the hell is this thing?" Pein demanded.

Konan, Haku, Espeon, and Raichu managed to push Sasuke-kun off of Itachi, leaving Konan free to answer the question.

"Pein, that's _you_."

"Excuse me?" Pein asked.

Sure, the strange creature standing in front of Pein had some similarities, but they certainly weren't the same person. Pein's skin certainly wasn't that awful grey color, and his piercings weren't that sharp or that long, and he didn't have five eyes or a giant metal plate on his chest.

"Are you sure?" He continued, lacking any better response.

"It's been cursed by one of Orochimaru's curse stones, Pein. It's a more powerful version of you."

"More powerful? We'll see about that."

"_I have a bad feeling about this…" _Nagato mumbled.

"_No kidding, Pein is so screwed." _Eevee sighed.

Sadly, because the curse stone added a third type, dark, to the creature, it wouldn't be hurt by psychic attacks, which made up one of Pein's most important attacks. Not that he knew that.

"I vote we split up." Haku announced, still holding the Sasuke-kun down.

"…What?" Itachi asked, pushing himself up.

"If we split up, we're not a giant target. If we all split up, we can split up the enemy, too."

"Not a bad idea." Konan said.

"Alright, fine. We'll split up." Itachi sighed.

The rest of the group happened to hear this conversation, and quickly complied, jumping off in different directions, leaving Orochimaru and his pokémon a bit confused.

"Where do they think they're going?" Orochimaru asked.

* * *

"PUT ME DOWN!" Eevee screamed.

"Oh, be quiet!" Yahiko growled. "Calm down and stop yelling, you're going to be fine!"

"You tore me off Deidara's shoulder, you idiot! Why'd you do that?"

"If you sat on his shoulder you'd slow him down!"

"I was protecting him! Now he could die!"

"He's perfectly capable of defending himself." Nagato said.

Pein happened to be just behind the three pokémon, though they weren't sure why.

xXx

"Of all the people I could get stuck with, and it's you." Raichu moaned.

"Pokémon." Espeon corrected. "Plus, you followed me."

"Did not."

"I was following my trainer; why didn't you!"

"…I don't know." Raichu admitted.

"_Espeon, is anything following us?" _Haku asked.

Espeon was a special kind of pokémon, able to predict the weather and opponent's moves by feeling air currents with the fine hairs on its body. He stood still for a moment, trying to feel if anyone was coming. He shook his head after a few seconds.

"Good, then we're safe for now."

* * *

"Why is Orochimaru here?" Konan hissed, pushing herself up against a building.

"Who knows and who cares?" Deidara said. "He's here, and that's that."

"He probably has something to do with what happened to Jiraiya." Itachi pointed out.

"You think so?" Konan asked.

"I'm almost positive. We're going to have to get to the top of the tower to see what's going on, you know."

* * *

A/N: Well, longer chapters will be coming out more frequently in about a week, since it's almost summer. Also, is anyone else having problems with line breaks? If not, what do you use as line breaks?


	50. Moving toward the Tower

A/N: Wow, I'm so good at updating, aren't I? Sorry!

* * *

"So, how are we planning to get to the top of the tower?" Nagato asked.

"Why the _hell_ would we want to go up there?" Eevee yelled.

"Because Jiraiya might still be up there," Yahiko told her.

"So? Who cares?"

"Konan does," Nagato said.

"Well _I_ don't!"

"Fine," Yahiko said, putting her down on the ground. "Stay here. All alone."

Nagato and Yahiko started to walk away, and Eevee sat there like a defiant child. Nagato kept glancing over his shoulder, as he was worried about leaving her there.

"What if she gets hurt?" He asked.

"She'll be fine, don't worry about it," Yahiko said.

"But what if something comes after her?"

"Trust me, Nagato. She'll be running after us in no time."

* * *

"You know, I'd really rather not have to walk all the way up there, un."

"Well, Deidara, do you have a better idea?" Konan huffed. "You and Itachi can't be in Pokémon form, so there's not a whole lot you can do. I could get up there pretty fast by myself, but I don't want to leave you guys down here. You'll be helpless in battle."

"We've got our Pokémon, you know."

"I know, but I just don't want to leave you two, okay?"

"Alright, alright, calm down. We'll _walk_ there."

"Deidara?" Itachi asked.

"What?"

"Where did Shinx go?"

"Uhh…"

"Did you really just lose your own pet?" Pain asked.

* * *

"You know, I'm not sure if I should bring you back. Maybe I'll just kill you instead."

Shinx stood pressed up against the corner of an alleyway, his eyes wide with fear. Orochimaru stood over him, visibly amused.

"_Suuuuukeee."_

Orochimaru turned around, hearing Sasuke's voice. The cursed Pokémon flew around the corner at blinding speed, somehow stopping inches from Orochimaru.

"Oh? What've we got here?" Orochimaru laughed, seeing Eevee in Sasuke's arms. She was thrashing about, but her small stature prevented her from really having any chance of escape.

"_Hey! Let go of her!" _Shinx yelled.

"_Yeah, like I'll be taking orders from __you__." _Sasuke said.

Shinx shook. Sure, he knew why Orochimaru wanted _him_, but why the heck did he need Eevee?

Shinx hesitantly stepped forward, arching his back.

"_Are you trying to protect her? That's cute," _Sasuke said with a smirk.

"Alright, that's enough. Sasuke, leave that thing. She's not going to do anything to us. I still have to deal with this runaway little runt."

Sasuke dropped Eevee, and she fell face-first onto the concrete ground. Sasuke went to grab leave, but Shinx leapt up and dug his teeth into his hand before he could. He slammed his hand into the wall, and Shinx sank to the ground. He got back up a moment later, though his head was spinning. Eevee was scratching at Sasuke's leg as he began to lift into the air, but he hardly seemed to notice.

"_You disgusting mutant!" _She shrieked.

"_Shut up."_

With that, Sasuke began press his foot down on Eevee. She squirmed, finding it difficult to breathe. Shinx tried to clear his head, but everything was just so fuzzy. He tensed, and suddenly everything became white. It was so bright.

"Oh, look, Sasuke. Shinx is _evolving_. How terrifying."

Unfortunately for Shinx, his first evolution, Luxio, was hardly more intimidating. He grew ever so slightly, but it wasn't a huge change.

"_I said leave her alone!" _Luxio yelled.

If Sasuke was capable of laughing, he would've. Instead, he rolled his eyes and flew off, leaving Eevee gasping on the ground. Orochimaru grabbed Luxio before he could check on her.

"I think it's time to reunite you with your little brother."

* * *

"If you're so smart, why don't you just go take down all of them?" Raichu huffed.

"Because, like you just said, I'm not stupid, Raichu," Espeon shot back.

"You guys! _You guys!"_

Espeon and Raichu stopped glaring at each other to look and see Eevee dashing toward them. Haku knelt down to greet her, but she ran right by and hid behind Raichu.

"What's wrong?" Espeon asked.

"Hey, pretty boy," Raichu snickered before Eevee could answer.

"What?" Espeon growled.

"She hid behind me. Clearly that means she thinks I'm stronger."

"No, idiot!" Eevee yelled. "You're just fatter and therefore a bigger target for me to hide behind."

"Yeah, exa—WHAT?"

"Anyway, they took Shinx!" Eevee continued.

"Who did?" Espeon asked. "What happened?"

"That ugly snake guy! He took Shinx and said he was gonna take him to meet his little brother!"

"Don't worry, we'll go fi—"

"He's gonna die!" Eevee cried. "Him and Deidara and Nagato and Yahiko and Konan and Itachi and—"

"Nobody is dying, okay?" Raichu snapped. "We're all gonna be fine!"

"You don't know that!"

Eevee dropped to the ground in defeat. As much as Raichu tried, he couldn't calm her down. Espeon came around to look her in the eye. When she looked up at him, the gem on his forehead began to glow, and a rainbow shot out, hitting Eevee in the face. Her crying stopped, and she began to look around.

"What'd you do?" Raichu asked.

"Hang on a minute…" Espeon whispered.

"Wow, Espeon, what'd you do? I didn't know you knew Teleport!" Eevee said, prancing a few feet away.

"What?" Raichu asked.

"Confuse ray," Espeon explained. "She thinks we're somewhere else now."

"Why the hell did you do that? Now she's going to think we're not in danger!"

"That's better than sitting on the ground and refusing to move. At least now she'll come with us without complaining and crying."

* * *

"Yahiko, where do we go if we don't find Jiraiya?"

"We're going to find him, Nagato."

"No, I mean, what if he's not here? What if he's gone?"

Yahiko didn't know how to reply to that, and just gave Nagato another generic motivational response, though Nagato seemed unimpressed.

"What about Eevee, by the way? She never came after us!"

"Nagato, seriously, calm down. I'm sure someone else found her. Once we get Jiraiya, he'll be able to help us out, okay?"

By the time that conversation was over, the two of them had reached the roof of the tower. They stayed on top, hesitating on how they should go in. Loud, kunai flying, or sneaking in? Sneaking seemed like a better option.

"Okay, so just go through the window, I guess," Yahiko instructed. The two of them walked through, and found themselves in a large room filled with computers, pokéballs, test tubes, and other lab equipment. All of it seemed to be intact, despite the fight that had clearly taken place earlier.

"SASUKE! Use Sucker Punch, then Crunch!"

As easy as it should be to avoid something that was just announced, Nagato and Yahiko couldn't. Both of the moves were Dark, and Nagato's psychic type caused him to faint almost instantly. Yahiko, on the other hand, survived both hits and began to fight back. Orochimaru didn't give any commands, trusting that Sasuke could take care of it himself.

* * *

"I'm cold," Sakura whined.

"If you complain one more time, we're leaving you here," Sasuke growled.

"No, no! He's just kidding, we wouldn't do that!" Sakura-chan assured her. "Right, Sasuke?"

"You can stay with her if you want. I have no problem ditching you, too."

"Excuse me? You'd just leave us here?"

"You can take care of yourself."

"I know I can, it's _you_ I'm worried about. You'll just run right into trouble with no idea how tough it is. Guess what? You'll get hurt and I won't be there to save your ass."

"I don't _need_ you 'saving my ass'!" Sasuke snapped.

Before the argument could continue, another crack of thunder silenced them all. They looked up at the tower to see black lightning shooting out from the top floor, and spreading into the clouds. Sasuke tensed, quickening his pace toward the tower. Sakura-chan picked up Sakura, and ran after him.

* * *

A/N: Bleh, this is proving much harder to write than I remember.


End file.
